Abstract
The study
examined the factors affecting secondary school graduates enrolment into
biology education, with particular reference to Ebonyi state University
Abakaliki. The specific purposes are: to determine the exact factors that
influence students’ enrolment in biology education, to examine the level of
gender disparity on students’ enrolment into biology education and to examine
the opinion of biology education students of Ebonyi State University students.
The descriptive survey design was used. The population of study consisted of
346 students of science education. A sample of 310 respondents were selected
using the simple random sampling technique. The instrument for data collection
was the questionnaire. The method of analysis was mean and standard deviation.
The result showed that Family background of students influence their enrollment
into biology education, Peer group factors influence students’ enrolment into
biology, Students’ interest plays great role in enrolment into biology
education, Societal influence affect students’ enrollment into biology
education and that experienced teachers influence students to enroll into
biology, gender disparity influence students’ enrolment into biology education,
students feel happy when enrolled into biology education, students of biology
education likes to further their academics in biology or biology related
courses, students of biology education are confident of successful graduation
and that Students of biology education like their friends to enroll into biology
after secondary school graduation. From the results of the study, it was
recommended that students should start early in life to develop interest in
biology as a subject as this will make the subject easy for them when they
choose it as one of their subjects at school. Parents should arrange extra
lessons for their children in the sciences,Girls should be encouraged to choose
biology and its related subjects.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Statement of the Problem
Purpose of the Study
Significance of the Study
Scope of the Study
Research Questions
CHAPTER
TWO
REVIEW
OF RELATED LITERATURE
Conceptual framework
Theoretical framework
Review of Empirical Studies and
Summary of Literature Review
CHAPTER
THREE
METHODOLOGY
Research Design
Area of the Study
Population of the Study
Sample and Sampling Techniques
Instrument for Data Collection
Validation of Instrument
Reliability of the Instrument
Method of Data Collection
Method of Data Analysis
CHAPTER
FOUR
DATA
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
Summary of Findings
CHAPTER
FIVE
DISCUSSION
OF FINDINGS, SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Discussion of Findings
Educational
Implications of the findings
Summary
Conclusion
Recommendations
Limitations of the Study
Suggestion for further studies
References
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
to the Study
A
major goal of science education is the attainment of scientific literacy, which
includes deeper conceptual understanding of key scientific principles and
ideas, the ability to apply scientific knowledge in real life contexts, as well
as the ability to identify problems and conduct scientific inquiry (Oguntelure,
2008). Understanding motivation is critical for reforming school curriculum,
increasing learning, and improving career aspirations of students. Historically
studied as a general trait, motivation is now studied multi-dimensionally,
through personal goal orientations (students’ reasons for engaging in specific
academic tasks), and self-efficacy (belief in one’s ability to succeed in a
particular situation) constructs.
National
development with respect to specific country or countries, a developed country
may remain an ideal country with such characteristics as high degree of
modernization, specific and technological progress. Experts hardly disagree on
the role education plays in fighting under development. Egu (2005) states that
education does this through development of appropriate manpower for service in
the political, social and economic sector. In the development of human
resources, education does a number of things. It brings about literacy which
accelerates the process of socialization, occupational preparation and the
development of the individual. Literacy in science is the knowledge and
understanding of scientific concepts and processes required for personal
decision making, participation in civic and cultural affairs and economic
productivity. It also include specific types of abilities. In the national
science education standards, the content standards define scientific literacy
as when someone can ask, find or determine answers to questions derived from
curiosity about everyday experiences. It mean that a person has the ability to
describe, explain and predict natural phenomena (Salau, 2002). A scientific
literate person therefore is willing to engage in reasoned discourse about
science and technology which requires the competencies to:
§ Understand,
experiment, and reason as well as interpret scientific facts and their meaning.
§ Ask,
find or determine answers to questions derived from curiosity about everyday
experiences.
§ Describe,
explain and predict natural phenomena.
§ Read
articles with understanding of science in the popular press and engage in
social conversation about the validity of the conclusions.
According
to Osborne, Simon and Collins (2003), "the investigation of students'
attitudes towards studying science has been a substantive feature of the work
of the science education research community for the past 30-40 years”. The
importance of this investigation is stressed by a persistent decline in
post-compulsory high school science enrolment over the last two decades.Science
is the knowledge about the structure and behaviour of natural and physical
world based on facts that can be proved (Homby, 2008). It is the study of
naturalphenomena by relying on the hypothetical, deductive and experimental
approval. Hyacinth (2004) views science as all human activities involving
organized knowledge of natural phenomena. It has to do with using observation
and experimentation to describe and explain natural phenomena.
Science
Education is fundamental in the development of any nation, this is because the
whole universe revolve around science. Science is the bedrock on which modern
day technological breakthrough is hinged. The main objective of science
education is to develop scientifically literate individuals that are concerned
with high competence for rational thoughts and actions. The objectives of
science education according toMaduekwe (2006) include the need to prepare students
to observe and explore the environment, explain natural phenomena, develop
scientific attitudes including curiosity; critical reflection and objectivity,
apply the skills and knowledge gained through science to solving everyday
problems in the environment, develop self-confidence and self-relevance through
problem solving activities.
Biology
is one of the science subjects that is offered in science education. Biology is
a very important subject and a requirement for further learning of number of
science related professional courses like medicine, agriculture, pharmacy etc.
Biology education is a subject that helps an individual understand himself, the
parts of his body and their functions, the relation of men to his environment
as well as knowledge of the interrelationship existing between living and
non-living things around the environment.
Biology
is a branch of science that deals with the study of living organisms. The
subject lays a foundation for careers in health, education, agriculture,
environment as well as a precursor of biotechnology which is a tool for
industrial and technological development. Despite the importance of Biology in
society, the percentage enrollment of students in the subject as compared to
other science subjects has been declining in Nigeria.
Several
studies have identified a number of factors affecting students' attitudes to
biology. These can be largely categorized as gender, personality traits,
structural variables, and curriculum variables, societal influence, family background
among other factors.Many studies (Francis and Greer, 2009; Jones, Howe and Rua,
2010 andSjøberg, 2010) have reported that males have more positive attitudes to
biological science than females, while others found no statistically significant
gender differences (Selim and Shrigley, 2013). Kahle and Meece (2014) published
a wide-ranging review on gender issues related to students' attitudes to biological
science subjects.
Gardner
(2014) in a review of gender differences in achievement, attitudes, and
personality of science students, stated that there were "clear differences
in the nature of 'boys' and 'girls' scientific interests, boys expressing
relatively greater interest in physical science activities, while girls are
more interested in biological and social science topics.Osborne (2013) showed
that there was "still a bias against physical sciences held by girls,
suggesting that at an individual level the overwhelming majority of girls still
choose not to do physical science as soon as they can". Their
comprehensive literature survey shows that one of the main motivators of gender
related research in science education is the fact that there are few girls in
technical and science-related occupations, while more qualified personnel are
needed.
There
is great imbalance in students’ choice of science and non-science subjects in
favour of non-science subjects as well. This has always manifested in the
number of students actively participating in science subjects in the schools.
Also, the West African Examination Council's Yearly validation sheet for
students' enrollment in various subjects in the Senior School Certificate
Examination (SSCE) reveals less percentage of students’ enrollment in the
sciences. These observation corroborate research studies carried out on the
issue in different parts of the country (Akinseide and Ariehrie, 2010, salau,
2002, Israel, 2015, Longbap and Nok, 2007).More disturbing is that this trend
has created a shortfall in the number of qualified candidates required to fill
the quota allocated to biological science and its’ related courses in the
Universities (Abdulraman, 2012).
The
implication is that the nation cannot develop her human and material resources
if she does not have a pool' of adequately skilled Manpower in biologicalscience
and other science-related fields at all levels. In spite of efforts by the
Government and its Agencies such as Nigeria Education Research andDevelopment
Council (NERDC) including some professional associations like Science Teachers
Association of Nigeria (STAN) to popularized science at all levels of
education, students’ enrollment in the sciences has continued to decline over
the years (Nworgu, 2010 and Israel, 2015). Among the few that opt for science,
a good number of them register only a science subject because it is mandatory. No
wonder, Yager and Penick (2007), reported that-science is not a popular subject
in schools.
Students'
low participation in biological sciences has hampered the realization of government's
University admission policy of 60:40 Science /Arts ratio. This situation is a
threat to the nation's scientific and technology aspirations. Studies conducted
so far in Nigeria (Akinseinde and Ariehrie, 2010, Israel, 2015) have largely
focused on students' enrollment and performance in the science at the secondary
school level.
On
the contrary, the situation in Ebonyi State University shows that there is
serious enrolment in biology education in comparison to other science courses.
The rush of secondary school leavers into biology education in Ebonyi State
University with few students opting for other science subjects in science
education curriculum like physics, chemistry, computer, mathematics etc is
becoming a source of concern.
The
recent change in students’ enrollment into science education in Ebonyi State
University is summarized in the table below.
Table showing students’ Enrollment
into Science Education
|
Session
|
Biology
|
Computer
|
Mathematics
|
Chemistry
|
|
2013/2014
|
18
|
25
|
8
|
7
|
|
2014/2015
|
20
|
30
|
1
|
4
|
|
2015/2016
|
38
|
25
|
8
|
11
|
|
2016/2017
|
101
|
32
|
8
|
10
|
Source: Science Education
Department (EBSU)
From
the ongoing, the present study seek to examine the factors affecting secondary
school graduate enrollment into biology education in Ebonyi State University,
Abakaliki.
Statement of the Problem
Nigeria
is a vast country, having a considerably large number of secondary schools
which evolved from a single mission school by 1859, to a presently estimated
figure (by 2014) of around 10,000.However in recent times (say in the last ten
to fifteen years), the school proprietorship trend appears to be borne out of
desire to show affluence, create class distinction for the pupils, invest
accumulated wealth, fulfill parochial, ethical or moral standard, or meet
admission and consistent academic calendar gaps. As expected, the total
enrolments in the schools have also appreciated over time.Observation showed
that these schools evolved at various rates with time, majorly out of necessity
to absorb the relatively teeming number of candidates yearning for post-primary
education at those times.
Records
show that not only is the percentage of students offering biology low for over
80% of the schools in Nigeria, but in addition, for over 50% of the schools,
the enrolment figures continue to fluctuate and diminish on the average.This
trend is seen as dangerous for the future of a developing country like ours;
and if nothing is done now to find out the root causes of the situation with
the aim of countering them, it might even degenerate to a point whereby we might
have no biology teachers at all, or enough people going into advanced courses
requiring biology as prerequisite.
On
the contrary, available data shows that enrolment into biology education in
Ebonyi State University has been increasing progressively over a span of almost
half a decade now. Data from the department of Science education, Ebonyi state
University shows a spiral increase in enrolment into biology from 2013/2014 to
2016/2017 session. It is on this background that the present study seek to examine
the factors affecting secondary school graduates enrollment into biology
education in Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki.
Purpose of the Study
The
main purpose of the study is to examine the factors affecting secondary school
graduates enrolment into biology education, with particular reference toEbonyi
state University Abakaliki.
The
specific purposes are:
1. To
determine the exact factors that influence students’ enrolment in biology
education.
2. To
examine the level of gender disparity on students’ enrolment into biology
education.
3. To
examine the opinion of biology education of Ebonyi State University students’ on
factors affecting enrollment into biology education.
Significance of the Study
The
findings of the study will be of immense benefit to the students, the parents,
the government, and Ebonyi State University in the following ways:
The
Students: the findings of the study will be of great benefit to the students in
that it will help them in choice of careers, because proper choice of subjects will
build them towards attainment of great heights in life.
The
Parents: the parents will benefit from the study because the findings of the
study will make them allow their children pursue their life dreams and
aspirations.
The
Government: the result of this study will be beneficial to the government as it
will guide them on policy implementation towards equitable provision and
distribution of educational materials to both science and non-science subjects.
Ebonyi
State University: the findings of the study will be of immense benefit to
Ebonyi State University because it will guide them in admission of students
into biology education and science education in general.
Scope of the Study
The
study seek to examine the factors affecting secondary school graduate enrolment
into biology education. The content scope covers the factors affecting
secondary graduate enrolment into biology education. The geographical scope is
science education, Ebonyi State University Abakaliki.
Research Questions
The
following research questions were formulated to guide the study:
1.
What are the exact factors affecting students’ enrolment into biology
education?
2.
What are the level of gender disparity on students’ enrolment into biology education?
3.
What are the opinions of biology education students of Ebonyi State University
on enrollment into biology education?
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