CHAPTER ONE
Background of the study
The physical world around us is a compact of “mysteries” to a lay man. Yet these mysteries are unraveled through the teaching of science. What then is science? Science is narrowly deferred as organized body of knowledge derived through observation and experimentation. Science is generally used to explain, predict and control the physical world. Science therefore as a discipline (especially the basics) is essential to man if he must understand his environment and harness the principles embedded in nature for his development. This fact inspires Ugochiwu (1999) to observe that science education has been accorded a prime position world-wide.However, within the contest of science education, chemistry which is that branch of natural science that deals with the composition and constitution of substances and the changes that they undergo as a consequence of alterations in the constitution of their molecules, has been identified as a very important science subject and its importance in both science and technological development of any nation has widely reported.
According to Dosmond (2005), it was as a result of the recognition given to chemistry in the development of the individual and the nation that it was made a care subject among the natural sciences and other science related courses in Nigeria education system. Hence, “it is of great notice that the poor state of chemistry education in secondary schools has been of great concern to everyone who looks forward to the scientific and technological advancement of our nation” (Inyang 2006).Chemistry teaching is suppose to be result oriented and students-centered. This can be achieved only if the students become willing to learn and teachers favorably disperse using the appropriate teaching methods and resources in teaching the students knowing that the brain is not a passive consumer of information (Robertson 2002).
But in Nigeria, the assimilation of chemistry is slow. The sluggishness in assimilation of chemistry is determined by certain variables and factors and the provision of solution constitute the main purpose of this research.School variables have been known to determine learning outcome to some extent. This is because educational resources and facilities available in a given school to influence teaching and learning.
According to Abia,School variables includes educational infrastructures, facilities, staffs, learning space, learners involve, class size, school size, school size, teacher’s level of professionalism in their field, school management system, teacher’s personal attitude as well as laboratory inadequacy (2004)It is further realized that children are stimulated to learn in a conducive learning environment to ensrure optimum teaching and learning in secondary schools. As such, the nature of these school variable listed above exert significant influence on students’ learning and overall performances.It is therefore in the light of the above that this research work is carried out to examine school variables and students’ academic performance in chemistry in Uyo local government Area of Akwa Ibom State.