CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
Background of The Study
As our primary schools sweep along on the incoming tide of new teaching techniques, many teachers find that the old methods they have used in teaching and learning are becoming increasingly inadequate.
This work is an attempt to find out the trends in primary six pupils’ achievements, mostly in their core curriculum. Core curriculum for primary education shall include: mathematics, English language, primary science and health education – national policy on Education (2004)
According to oxford Advanced Learner’s dictionary (2001) “Trend” is a general direction in which a situation is changing or developing. It is also to have for take a general course or direction – The new international Webster’s comprehensive dictionary of the English language (2004). It refers to recent or latest development in a particular field or endeavor.
Primary school pupils as referred to in National policy on Education (2004), is the education given on institutions for children aged 6 to 11 plus. The significance of this level of education cannot be over-emphasized, Adigun (2002) noted. She concluded that it is the foundation upon which all other levels of education are built. No wonder, World Education Encyclopedia Vol.3 (2002) asserted that one of the government’s major concerns regarding primary education has been the goal of upgrading the qualifications of elementary school teachers. These efforts by the governmen5 may be to improve pupils’ achievements (academic performance).
Academic performance, according to google web definition chosen by voters (2010), refers to how students deal with their studies and how they cope with or accomplish different tasks given to them by their teachers. Academic performance of any child is very important. That is possibly why, Ejili and Anyanwu (2006) asserted that academic performance aids an individual to learn something worthwhile for a living.
Apparently, the trends in primary six pupils’ achievements (academic performance) in first school Leaving Certificate (FSLC) is viewed as the recent development in education of pupils between the ages of 6 to 11 plus with reference to their academic achievement particularly in relation to primary school subjects like mathematics, English language, primary Science and health Education as core curriculum subjects stipulate by National Policy on education (2004). Mathematics, simply put, is Science of structure, order, number, space and quantity, Soyemi (2007) asserted. The continued, it is a relationship which revolves around the elementary practice of counting, measuring and describing of shapes and objects. Mathematics is pre-requisite for the study of Sciences. It is the father of Science said Attah (2006). Though some people still believe that mathematics is the mother of Science but the issue at hand is the centrality of mathematics in Science and technology and hence the inclusion of mathematics in this study.
According to Eze (2000), mathematics is a core subject in both primary and secondary schools in Nigeria but amazingly it has become a masquerade in Nigeria today.
Possibly, this mentality was gathered on the basis that mathematics is very hard to understand. Eze (2000) also asserted that mathematics is a subject that has been found to be feared and disliked by a lot of pupils and students. Adewoye (2002) comments that pupils fail mostly the Science subjects in public examinations, some even drop them not understanding that they are the basis of strong foundation in Science and technology.
English Language is taught in primary schools in Nigeria as stipulated by National Policy on Education (2004). This possibly informed when Eneh-Onyejeli and Uchechukwu (2008) wrote that:
English Language is the name of a course offered in schools, universities, and other institutions. The aim of the course is to provide students with information about the “knowledge and skill in the use of the language”.
This expression, English language also refers to the name of a Language.
English language is a second language in Nigeria, possibly because indigenous languages could not serve as a national language. Sadly. In case of English Language, pupils in some primary schools don’t know how to speak it because the language is not our mother tongue. Though many people speak it and many don’t speak it and some of those who claim to speak it do not know how to speak it. Another set of pupils in some primary schools believe that they have known English language because their parents may be teaching them the language at home. The effect of ICT on English language study is understood differently by different people. For example, some people argued that the birth of technology in Nigeria brought blessing, while others say it has brought curse to them. This is because pupils and students have form the habit of using improper spelling or self invented vocabularies such as “sstr” for sister “sch’ for school, “dat” for that, etc. to send emails, phone text messages to friend and siblings across the country. These habits have stopped them from enhancing their vocabulary in English Language. Today, some pupils and students don’t know how to start letter writing, not talk of, knowing correct spellings. No doubt, these may pose the reason for the inclusion of English Language in this study.