TABLE OF
CONTENT
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
1.2 PURPOSE
OF THE STUDY
1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE
REVIEW
2.1 STUDENTS
ATTITUDES AND SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT
2.2 GENDER
DIFFERENCES IN STUDENT ATTITUDES TOWARD ECONOMICS LESSONS
2.3 CHANGES IN
STUDENT ATTITUDE TOWARD ECONOMICS LESSONS ACROSS GRADE LEVELS.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 Introduction
3.3 Research design
3.4 The study population
3.5 Sample and sampling techniques
3.5 Instrumentation
3.7 Procedure for data collection
3.8 Data
analysis procedure
3.9 Summary
of the chapter.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.0 INTRODUCTION
4.1 PRESENTATION OF TABLES
Discussion
CHAPTER FIVE
FINDINGS, CONCLUSION
AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
5.2 CONCLUSION
5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes
from the Ancient Greek οἰκονομία (oikonomia,
"management of a household, administration") from οἶκος (oikos,
"house") + νόμος (nomos,
"custom" or "law"), hence "rules of the
house(hold)". Political economy was the earlier name for the
subject, but economists in the late 19th century suggested
"economics" as a shorter term for "economic science" that
also avoided a narrow political-interest connotation and as similar in form to
"mathematics",
"ethics", and so forth.
A
focus of the subject is how economic agents
behave or interact and how economies
work. Consistent with this, a primary textbook distinction is between
microeconomics and macroeconomics. Microeconomics
examines the behavior of basic elements in the economy, including individual
agents (such as households and firms or as buyers and sellers) and markets, and
their interactions. Macroeconomics
analyzes the entire economy and issues affecting it, including unemployment,
inflation, economic growth, and monetary and fiscal policy.
Other
broad distinctions include those between positive economics
(describing "what is") and normative economics
(advocating "what ought to be"); between economic theory and applied economics;
between rational
and behavioral economics;
and between mainstream economics
(more "orthodox" and dealing with the
"rationality-individualism-equilibrium nexus") and heterodox economics
(more "radical" and dealing with the "institutions-history-social
structure nexus").
Economic
analysis may be applied throughout society, as in business,
finance,
health care,
and government, but also to such diverse subjects as crime,[education,
the family,
law, politics,
religion
social institutions,
war, and science.
At the turn of the 21st century, the expanding domain of economics in the
social sciences has been described as economic imperialism.
An
attitude may be defined as a predisposition to respond in a favourable or unfavourable manner with respect to a given
attitude object (Oskamp and Schultz 2005). The focus of this project is
on school students’ attitudes towards Economics subjects taught in secondary
classrooms. The term ‘subjects’ refers to both
theory and laboratory classes in secondary school. Thus, the scope of the present
study was limited to Economics as experienced by students in secondarys chool rather than out-of-school experiences
obtained from external sources such as the media, museums, field trips
and friends. Attitude towards Economics or science denotes interests or feelings towards studying Economics or science. It is the students’
disposition towards like or ‘dislike’ science while attitude in science means
scientific approach assumed by an individual for solving problems, assessing
ideas and making decisions. Student beliefs and attitudes have the potential to either facilitate or inhibit learning (Yara, 2009).Many factors could contribute to student’s attitude toward studying science (Economics). Several studies (including Wilson
1983; Soyibo, 1985;Berg 2005; Adesoji, 2008) report that students’ positive
attitudes to science correlate highly with their that, in general, the attitude
of Nigeria students towards the basic sciences tend to decrease in the order,
Biology, Economics, Physics and Mathematics. Defiana (1995) found that using
integrated science environment activities improved high school student attitude toward and awareness
about the environment. Armstrong and Impara (1991) in their studies determined that fifth and seventh – grade students
using nature score as a curriculum
supplement developed more positive attitudes than those who did not. Abimbola (1983) reported that students exposed to a programmed instruction
recorded higher and more favourable attitude towards mathematics. Ayelaagbe
(1998) also reported a more positive attitude of studies after exposing them to self learning strategy. Similar results were obtained
by Udousoro (2000) after using computer and text assisted programmed
instruction and Popoola (2002) after exposing
students to a self learning device. Popoola(2008) also reported that students
attitudes and interests to sciences, especially Agricultural science
correlate highly with their science achievement. Halladyna and Shanghnessy (1982) and Adesoji (2008) have concluded that a
number of factors have been identified as related to students’ attitude to science
(Economics). Such factors include; teaching methods, teacher attitude, influence of parents, gender, age, cognitive
styles of pupils, career interest, social view of science and
Scientifics, social implicating of science (Economics)and achievement. The studies thus reviewed suggest that there is a
relationship between attitude and methods of instruction and also
between attitude and achievement;and that it
is possible to predict achievement from attitude scores. What isneeded to
complement the results of such studies however is the nature
of relationship between students’ attitude and factors related to teaching
and learning of Economics. Results of
these types of study are likely to broaden our knowledge as how we can influence students’
attitude positively towards Economics as a subject in Akure, Nigeria.
1.2 PURPOSE
OF THE STUDY
The purpose of the study is to investigate the attitudes of students in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State toward studying of Economics
as a subject. The study is also designed to make various recommendations for
teachers and other stakeholders on how to
arouse or improve students attitudes in the subject.
1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS
Despite the greater number of Economics
graduates produced by our tertiary
institutions; every year there are numbers of secondary schools where Economics
teachers are not competent in the teaching of the subject. Also, the attitude
of the students in secondary schools towards Economics as a profession is not encouraging. This makes the teaching of Economics ineffective and
inefficient even where there are competent teachers to teach. It is on
this premise, that this study is designed to investigate the attitude of
students to teaching and learning of Economics in secondary schools.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
In order to investigate the attitude of students to
Economics, the following questions were raised:
1.
Do the
students have positive attitudes towards Economics?
2.
Do their
negative attitudes a result of the attitude of their teachers towards
the subject?
3.
Do their
attitudes towards problem solving result of unavailability of textbook
and other instructional materials?
4.
Should Economics
be made compulsory for all science students in secondary
schools?
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study was limited to
secondary schools in Akure South Local Government of Ondo State only. Based on
the time frame and financial constraints
in covering all the secondary schools in the Local Government, the study was
also limited to the students in Senior Secondary Schools (SS Class)
The names of the schools are:
·
St.Dominic Grammar
School, Akure.
·
C.A.C.Grammar
School, Akure.
·
Oyemekun High
School, Akure.
·
St.Peter’sUnity
High School, Akure.
·
Fiwasiaye
Girls Grammar School, Akure.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study is aimed at looking at the students’
attitudes towards Economics in some selected
secondary schools in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo
State. The results of the study is hoped to
assist Economics teachers to develop new
learning experience for the students and reorganize these learning experience
in some ways enough to arouse the interest of the students. It would be of good assistance to teachers to
create a habit were they would improve
on the obsolete teaching methods, use adequate, modern and relevant
instructional materials and textbooks at their disposed to the fullest. This study may also assist the students to improve
their attitude towards the study of the subject. Finally, the government
and parents would benefit from the study of their roles as these would be
highlighted at the recommendation column.1.7Assumption
of the Study Based on the study, the
following assumptions were made. Secondary school students constitute a
valid source of data needed in the study. Also,
that the respondents will give valid and unbiased responses to the questionnaire
items and that the samples drawn will be representatives of the population
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Economics:- This is
a science subject taught in the Senior Secondary Schools.
Learning:- This is the process of
acquiring knowledge in Economics among Senior
Secondary School Students.
Attitude:- This
refers to students’ positive mind to the study of Economics.
Teaching:- Transmission of the knowledge
of Economics to Senior Secondary School Students. Instruction
Materials:- These
are aids used in teaching and learning of Economics in Senior Secondary School.
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