This study explored
the factors influencing the reasoning ability of secondary school students in
Ezeagu Local Government Area (LGA) of Enugu
State, Nigeria.
The general research objective was to analyse the effect of demographic,
attitude, and environmental factors on students’ reasoning ability. As a result
of the nature of the research objectives, a survey research method was adopted.
A cross-sectional data was generated from a conveniently drawn sample of the
students of Aguobu-Owa high school, Ezeagu LGA with a research questionnaire. The
questionnaire was face and content validated prior to administering it to the
respondents. A total of 255 out of 332 students in the school participated in
the research. Out of the 225 questionnaires that were completed, only 137 were
valid for further analyses. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis
were used as tools for data analysis. All the analyses were completed with SPSS
version 15.0 software. Findings indicate that male respondents far outnumbered
their female counterpart. It was also found that such demographic factors as
gender and family economic status does not have a positive relationship with
reasoning ability. Findings also show that apart from affect, every other
attitude and belief factor (i.e cognitive competence, value, difficulty,
interest and effort) correlated with reasoning ability. Finally,
it was found that an ideal
learning environment does positively relate to reasoning ability. Based on the
above findings, it was recommended that both male and female children as well
as children from both poor and rich homes should be given equal opportunity to
acquire formal education. To bridge the gap between the opportunities
afforded the rich and the poor, it was recommended that the government should
better equip public schools and make the school fees affordable to the poor. It
is also recommended that teachers should work hard to get students interested
in science subjects by boosting students’ perception of the value
of pursuing the science profession; measuring students’
cognitive competence on continuous basis to ascertain performance and taking a
decision as to what whether a change teaching and instructional materials are
necessary. It is equally important to boost students’ effort in science subjects
by engaging them on series of formative assessments. The difficulty perception
of science subjects can be relaxed by employing hardworking and qualified
teachers who will teach science subjects in a manner that the students will
understand. Finally, there is urgent need to
create a good environment for learning science subjects in secondary schools.
There is need for government to refurbish public schools and properly equip the
science laboratories to support good learning and encourage logical and
creative reasoning among students.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
APPROVAL.. i
CERTIFICATION.. ii
DEDICATION.. iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.. iv
ABSTRACT.. vi
LIST OF TABLES. x
CHAPTER ONE.. 1
INTRODUCTION.. 1
1.1 Background of
the Study. 1
1.2 Statement of
the Problem.. 3
1.3 Scope of the
Study. 6
1.4 Significance
of the Study. 6
1.5 Purpose of the
Study. 7
1.6 Research
Questions. 8
1.7 Research
Hypotheses. 8
CHAPTER TWO.. 10
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE.. 10
2.1 Conceptual
Framework. 10
2.1.1 Meaning of reasoning ability. 10
2.1.2 Historic roots of reasoning and forms of reasoning
ability. 12
2.1.3 Why students’ reasoning ability should be measured. 16
2.2 Theoretical
Framework. 17
2.2.1 Attribution Theory (B. Weiner) 17
2.3 Review of
Empirical Studies. 19
2.3.1 Scientific reasoning ability. 19
2.3.2 Factors influencing reasoning ability. 20
2.4 Summary of
Related Literature. 30
CHAPTER THREE.. 32
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.. 32
3.1 Research
Design. 32
3.2 Area of the
Study. 32
3.3 Population of
the Study. 33
3.4 Sampling and
Sample. 33
3.4 Research
Instrument 34
3.5 Validation of
the Instrument 36
3.6 Reliability of
the Instrument 36
3.7 Method of Data
Collection. 36
3.8 Methods of
Data Analysis. 37
CHAPTER FOUR.. 38
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA.. 38
4.1 Presentation
of Findings. 38
4.2 Test of
Hypotheses. 43
4.2.1 Hypothesis 1. 43
4.2.2 Hypothesis 2. 44
4.2.3 Hypothesis 3. 49
4.3 Discussion of
Findings. 50
CHAPTER FIVE.. 54
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION.. 54
5.1 Summary of
Findings. 54
5.2 Conclusion. 55
5.3 Recommendations. 55
References 58
APPENDIX.. 63
QUESTIONNAIRE. 63
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Table
|
Title
|
Page
|
|
2.1
|
Summary of factors influencing reasoning ability
|
29
|
|
3.1
|
Composition of the
Study Population
|
34
|
|
3.2
|
Scale Items
|
35
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|
4.1
|
Respondents' Gender
|
38
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|
4.2
|
Respondents' Family Economic Status
|
38
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|
4.3
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I'm Doing Science because my Friends
are Doing Science
|
39
|
|
4.4
|
I'm Doing
Science because my Parents want me to do Science
|
39
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|
4.5
|
I willingly chose to do Science
|
40
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|
4.6
|
Mean Distribution
of the respondents across the Scale Items
|
41
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|
4.7
|
Composite Variables and their Means
|
42
|
|
4.8
|
Correlation between Gender and
Reasoning Ability
|
43
|
|
4.9
|
Correlation between Family Economic
Status and Reasoning Ability
|
44
|
|
4.10
|
Correlation between
Affect and Reasoning Ability
|
45
|
|
4.11
|
Table
Correlation between Cognitive Competence and Reasoning Ability
|
45
|
|
4.12
|
Correlation between Value and
Reasoning Ability
|
46
|
|
4.13
|
Correlation between Difficulty and
Reasoning Ability
|
47
|
|
4.14
|
Correlation between
Interest and Reasoning Ability
|
48
|
|
4.15
|
Correlation
between Effort and Reasoning Ability
|
48
|
|
4.16
|
Correlation
between Ideal Learning Environment and Reasoning Ability
|
50
|
Education is frequently concerned about the need to improve
students’ academic achievements. The large number of research on student
achievement bears testimony to this concern (Babalola, 1979; Fakunle, 1986;
Okoye and Okecha, 2008). This is not only because a higher achievement
especially in the field of science is the foundation for technical skills which
is in short supply, but also because higher achievement is particularly valued
in a society which sets high premium on academic success as the stepping stone
for entrance into more prestigious occupation. However, to be able to perform well
in science subjects, students must possess sound reasoning ability. According
to Piraksa, Srisawasdi and Koul (2014), “as scientific literacy is currently
considered the central goal for development of the 21st century citizens,
scientific reasoning ability is determined as an important factor for fostering
student performance in science learning” (p. 486). Scientific
reasoning ability is therefore, a skill of critical importance to those
students who seek to become professional scientists.
The acquisition of new knowledge and its innovative applications
result in a continuous transformation of our cultural, social, and political
environments. Existing knowledge is being rapidly revised and, in some cases,
becoming obsolete. It is therefore clear that the methods and processes by
which new knowledge is acquired are of major importance in successfully facing
the abundance of knowledge and its consequent technological applications
(Valanides, 1997). This perspective presupposes a broadening of learning
objectives beyond those related to subject matter and discipline-specific
concepts. He further argued that emphasizing the development of students’
reasoning abilities and the achievement of procedural/operative knowledge is
the only appropriate reaction to the current exponential increase of knowledge.
A central purpose of education is thus to provide the conditions which will
foster the development of students’ reasoning abilities. Hence, schools should
do more than teaching collections of discipline-specific facts and concepts.
The Ministry of Education in Nigeria generally and Enugu State Ministry
of Education in particular has gradually introduced, among other innovations, a
new science curriculum where emphasis is placed on laboratory work and on the
processes of science. The new curriculum and the corresponding teaching
approaches are expected to enhance students’ reasoning abilities. This
expectation is in line with research studies related to interventions to
accelerate students’ cognitive development.
Some researches on reasoning abilities identified demographic, attitude
and belief, and environmental variables as the factors influencing reasoning
abilities (see for example, Jindal-Snape, Davies,
Collier, Howe, Digby and Hay, 2013; Hyde and Mertz,
2009; Okoye and Okecha, 2008; Tempelaar, Schim van
der Loeff and Gijselaers, 2007; Valanides, 1997).
However, despite the results of these research efforts and the consequent outcomes
of accompanying theoretical debates, interest in the investigation of students’
reasoning abilities and the process of their development will continue. These
efforts have the potential to accumulate evidence which will enhance our
understanding of how reasoning ability develop and- how curricula and teaching
interventions can foster their development especially in a grossly
underdeveloped educational system such as the one found in most schools in
Nigeria (especially in the rural areas). Studying the factors that influence
the reasoning ability of science students from a very underdeveloped academic
background such as Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State will therefore provide
the Ministry of Education in the state as well as teachers with a blueprint of
what to emphasize to enable the students improve their reasoning ability.
“…'To
know' science is a statement that one knows not only what a phenomenon is, but
also how it relates to other events, why it is important, and how this
particular view of the world came to be. Knowing any of these aspects in
isolation misses the point. Therefore, in learning science, students, as well
as having the opportunity to learn about the concepts of science, must also be
given some insight into its epistemology, the practices and methods of science,
and its nature as a social practice…” (Driver, Newton and Osborne, 2000, p.
297).
The
field of science is rapidly expanding. As students choose a science major, they
need and expect the course and laboratory work that will develop them into a scientist.
This work includes the content knowledge and skills necessary to be able to
design a solid experiment, analyse the results, and apply the findings to
future work both within and across disciplines. However, without sound
reasoning ability, it will be difficult for students to develop a successful
career in science. Coletta, Philips and Steinert (2007) argued that student
reasoning ability can be used to identify students who at risk of failing their
exams. Furthermore, Lawson (2004) argued that scientific reasoning plays a
central role in scientific literacy. Specifically, Okoye and Okechi (2008) also
found that reasoning ability of Nigerian students correlate positively with
their achievement in biology. Science students in secondary school are freshmen
who are entering the career under-prepared both in content and cognitive
abilities. In addition, the report by Ojerinde (1998) on the survey of the
performance of candidates in science subjects in Nigeria over the years revealed a
discernible decline. This perennial decline has remained a source of concern to
science educators (Nnaka and Anaekwe, 2004). It is yet unclear whether
demographic, attitude and belief and environmental factors influence the
reasoning abilities of science students in secondary schools in Ezeagu Local
Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria.
An
additional difficulty for science majors in secondary schools is simply staying
with their declared major. One possible explanation for this ugly trend is that
science is generally perceived as a difficult field of study. However, being
deficient in one area does not necessarily imply that an individual is less
intelligent (Pimsleur Approach, n.d). This therefore exposes the need to study
the main factors influencing reasoning abilities.
Additionally,
most science teachers believe that students need to be helped to understand how
scientists make sense of problem situations and how they decide on the progress
of the solution. As pointed out earlier also, students’ cognitive/reasoning
ability need to be enhance in order to get them stay and continue their career
in science. To achieve this end, the factors that influence reasoning ability
needs to be thoroughly investigated. Yet, to the best of my knowledge, limited research
has studied this key issue in Nigeria generally with no research project found
to have explored this subject in Enugu State in particular. Hence, the need for
this project. Furthermore, Solomon (2014) argued
that due to the fact that reasoning skills have failed to take off in the
majority of secondary schools students in Nigeria, fears are that development
and recognition of the natural resources and the effective uses of these
resources may be a pipe dream for the country. Given this scenario
therefore, it is timely and necessary to explore the factors that influence the
reasoning ability of secondary schools science students’ that interfere with
their learning process especially in Ezeagu Local government Area of Enugu
State, Nigeria.
This project work, factors influencing reasoning
ability of students in Nigerian secondary schools: A study of Ezeagu Local
Government Area of Enugu State focuses on three key factors which include
demographic factors, attitude and belief factors and environmental factors.
With respect to the area to be covered, the research work concentrated in one
secondary school in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria.
Scientific literacy is currently considered as a
central goal and critical learning outcome for science education standard in
several countries (Dani, 2009). This is because the teaching of science offers
students the ability to access a wealth of knowledge and information which will
contribute to an overall understanding of how and why things work like they do
because science is able to explain the mechanics and reasons behind the daily
functioning of complex systems, which range from the human body to
sophisticated modern methods of transport (Centre for Education in Science and
Technology, 2009). However, it may be very difficult to access the performance
of science majors especially those in secondary schools without understanding
the factors that influence their reasoning ability. Hence, the study of the
factors that influence the reasoning ability of science majors in secondary
schools in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State is significant in the
following respects:
Firstly, the significant of this study would assess
the factors needed to enhance the reasoning abilities of science majors in
secondary schools in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Secondly, solutions will be proffered to the
problems facing the educational sectors in designing appropriate study
curriculum that will enhance students’ reasoning abilities of science majors in
secondary schools in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Finally,
this study will also provide a first-hand guide to science
teachers on what to emphasis in their teaching techniques to enable the
students improve their reasoning ability.
The
overall objective of this study to explore the factors that influence the
reasoning abilities of secondary school students majoring in science subjects
in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. The specific purposes
are:
1.
To discover whether demographic factors influence
secondary school students’ reasoning ability in Enugu State.
2.
To evaluate the influence of attitude factors on secondary
school students’ reasoning ability in Enugu State.
3.
To assess the influence of environmental factors on
secondary school students’ reasoning ability in Enugu State.
The overall research question to be
answered by this study is: What factors influence
the reasoning abilities of secondary school students majoring in science
subjects in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria?
1.
What are the influence of demographic factors on
secondary school students’ reasoning abilities in Enugu State?
2.
What are the influence of attitude factors on secondary
school students’ reasoning ability in Enugu State?
3.
What are the influence of environmental factors on
secondary school students’ reasoning ability in Enugu State?
Below
are the hypotheses which will be tested in this research. The hypotheses are
tested at 0.05 level of significance.
HO1: There is no
significant difference between demographic factors and secondary school
students’ reasoning ability in Ezeagu
HA1: There is
significant difference between demographic factors and secondary school
students’ reasoning ability in Ezeagu
HO2: There is no
significant difference between attitude factors and secondary school students’
reasoning ability in Ezeagu
HA2: There is
significant difference between attitude factors and secondary school students’
reasoning ability in Ezeagu
HO3: There is no
significant difference between environmental factors and secondary school
students’ reasoning ability in Ezeagu
HA3: There is
significant difference between environmental factors and secondary school
students’ reasoning ability in Ezeagu
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