TOWARDS ENRICHING NIGERIA’S SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL PHYSICS CURRICULUM: PHYSICS EXAMINERS’ PERSPECTIVES.
Abstract
The study identified three (3) knowledge areas deemed necessary for infusion into senior secondary school (SSS) physics curriculum through opinions of physics examiners for improvement of the existing curriculum. The three areas are Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Entrepreneurship Education (E.E) and Harmonisation of Scientific Notations, Standards and Practices (HSNSP). This is with a view to enriching the curriculum with learning experiences which will improve the functionality of the curriculum and make recipients to easily adapt to the scientific and technological demands of a new world order characterised by dynamic changes. Seven (7) research questions were raised and answered while three(3) hypotheses were formulated and tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The population of the study comprised three hundred and five (305) physics examiners in the North Central Zone of the country, while the sample consisted of sixty (60) examiners from the two (2) marking venues in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja at Government Secondary School Tudunwada and Government Secondary Gwagwalada. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The instrument was validated by three (3) University lecturers from the Science Education Department of the Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan and two (2) Senior Research Officers from the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Abuja. The instrument had a reliability index of 0.85 using Cronbach Alpha technique. Results show that respondents were favourably disposed to more than 80% of the identified knowledge areas using an average mean rating greater than 2.5 ( x≥ 2.5) on a four- point Likert Scale. However, using an average mean rating greater or equal to 3.6 ( x≥3.6) that is 90% of a four –point scale for prioritisation, 20 items out of a total of 60 items (33.33%), 10 for ICT, 10 for entrepreneurship education met the required cut off mark for inclusion. Factors affecting the implementation of desirable changes in our science education programmes in general and physics in particular have also been spotlighted while the need to surmount such constraints has equally been emphasized.
Key words: Curriculum, Entrepreneurship Education, Harmonisation, Perspectives, Information and Communication Technology.
OBI UWADILEKE (2015)
TOWARDS ENRICHING NIGERIA’S SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL PHYSICS CURRICULUM: PHYSICS EXAMINERS’ PERSPECTIVES.
Abstract The study identified three (3) knowledge areas deemed necessary for infusion into senior secondary school (SSS) physics curriculum through opinions of physics examiners for improvement of the existing curriculum. The three areas are Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Entrepreneurship Education (E.E) and Harmonisation of Scientific Notations, Standards and Practices (HSNSP). This is with a view to enriching the curriculum with learning experiences which will improve the functionality of the curriculum and make recipients to easily adapt to the scientific and technological demands of a new world order characterised by dynamic changes. Seven (7) research questions were raised and answered while three(3) hypotheses were formulated and tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The population of the study comprised three hundred and five (305) physics examiners in the North Central Zone of the country, while the sample consisted of sixty (60) examiners from the two (2) marking venues in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja at Government Secondary School Tudunwada and Government Secondary Gwagwalada. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The instrument was validated by three (3) University lecturers from the Science Education Department of the Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan and two (2) Senior Research Officers from the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Abuja. The instrument had a reliability index of 0.85 using Cronbach Alpha technique. Results show that respondents were favourably disposed to more than 80% of the identified knowledge areas using an average mean rating greater than 2.5 ( x≥ 2.5) on a four- point Likert Scale. However, using an average mean rating greater or equal to 3.6 ( x≥3.6) that is 90% of a four –point scale for prioritisation, 20 items out of a total of 60 items (33.33%), 10 for ICT, 10 for entrepreneurship education met the required cut off mark for inclusion. Factors affecting the implementation of desirable changes in our science education programmes in general and physics in particular have also been spotlighted while the need to surmount such constraints has equally been emphasized. Key words: Curriculum, Entrepreneurship Education, Harmonisation, Perspectives, Information and Communication Technology.