ABSTRACT
This research work is designed to look into the causes of students poor performance in science in SSCE in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State. then first chapter deals with the introduction and background of the study, objectives, purpose of the study, the limitation of the study and definition of terms. The second chapter looked into various literature and journals written by various authors that are relevant to the study. The third chapter deals with the methodology used in the study. The major instruments used for collecting information were questionnaire which is divided into science teachers questionnaire and students questionnaires. The fourth chapter carried out the analysis and interpretation of data collected from the respondents (questionnaire). The fifth chapter summarized the finding, concluded on the findings and the researcher made recommendations that will help improve the performance of students in science subjects in secondary school certificate examination. The researcher also suggested areas that need to be further investigated on the study.
TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
Background to the study
Objective of study
Purpose of the study
Statement of problem
Research questions
Significance of the study
Scope of study
Limitation of study
Definition of terms
CHAPTER TWO
Literature Review
CHAPTER THREE
Methodology
Research design
Sample of the study
Research instrument
Validation of instrument
Method of data collection
Method of analysis of data
CHAPTER FOUR
Analysis and interpretation of data
CHAPTER FIVE
Summary
Conclusion
Recommendations
REFERENCES
QUESTIONNAIRES
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Science is one of the most important subject taught in the primary, secondary schools and even beyond. It can be traced back to early men who used two stones to ignite fire, he had made use of scientific method to determine the development which leads to the discovery of new ideas. Science is a systematic body of knowledge which describe and classifies all forms and processes of life and matter. This is because it helps human beings to discover new ideas and the invention of numerous things that have reduced human efforts towards the achievement of a brighter life. The usefulness of science subjects has widened its scope to embrace many others concepts. Scientist posses some skills which enable them to observe, classify, measure, experiment, control variable, interpret data and communicate. They have also adopted the method of empirical research.
Science subjects are the vehicles of technological development and scientific innovations. There are other areas where good knowledge of science manufactured nuclear power, medicine, demography etc. to be more precise a country whose citizens are scientifically uneducated cannot be expected to make any reasonable technological based on political decision on such issue as nuclear energy and atmospheric pollution because of the rudimentary tools to grasp the various arguments. Based on these, therefore, scientific and technological advancement constitute the means by which countries of the world have been classified as developed or underdeveloped. The urban-developed countries are highly mechanized through technology; they have faster means of communication, easy means of transportation etc.
Inspite of all the usefulness of science subjects, students are being faced with many problems, which are manifested in students performance in our institutions especially at the secondary school level. Students in our secondary schools are being scared from science because of the assumption that the subject is too abstract in relation to other objects, with this fear in their mind, the students hardly do well in the external examinations especially in secondary schools in Orhionmwon Local Government Area. A look at this problem will make one to examine the reasons for this. In most secondary schools today, there is no adequate staffing in terms of qualification to teach these subjects. T he few ones are not dedicated to their duties. To some teachers, the teaching profession is secondary; much of their attention is paid to hawking of wears or working in the farm with the result that little or no time is devoted for preparation of lessons or paying attention to academic problems of their students.
The existing few science teachers teach the subjects without the use of teaching aids and the expensive cost of textbooks has extricate the whole situation. This research work therefore, is to investigate the factor responsible for t he poor performance and the negative attitude towards the subject.