EFFORTS OF LECTURES AND DEMONSTRATION METHODS ON TEACHING AND LEARNING SECONDARY SCHOOL CHEMISTRY (A Case Study Of Selected Secondary Schools In Enugu Urban)

Project Abstract

Some scholars have found out from some states of the federation that the results of chemistry students in senior secondary School certificate examination have been always poor. “Among students who enroll in chemistry, the results in chemistry are very poor. We found out that the chemistry teachers who teach them are competent enough. Achievement in science, like chemistry is affected by the teaching personality of the science teachers (Ali 1981). Another scholar Offiah (1987) observed that only the professionally trained chemistry teachers can perform effectively as chemistry teachers to the success of their students. This study, therefore, investigated the effect of lecture and demonstration methods on teaching and learning, secondary school chemistry in Enugu urban, Enugu State. To obtain appropriate results from the study, research questions were formulated. Questionnaires and structured interview were administered to stratified, randomly selected secondary schools students in Enugu urban, Enugu State. This study revealed that the performance of chemistry students in senior school certificate examinations in Enugu urban, Enugu State since the recent past have been on the average. This is because the chemistry teachers’ competence and personality traits and their effectiveness in chemistry teaching approaches to achieve success are also at averages approaches. Appropriate recommendations were made based on the findings.

Project Overview

INTRODUCTION
Background of the study:
Science is the systematic study of any thing that can be examined, tested and verified (Kayode 2010) this suggest that for any activity to be referred to as science, it has to pass through the process of examination, test and verification of such activity. Chemistry is one of such subjects or activity whose verifiable evidence is based on scientific proof. In order to ensure that the scientific methods and procedures of achieving results, teachers employ several teaching methods. Principal among which methods is the lecture method and demonstration methods.
Kayode (2010) equally affirmed that lecture method is a talk and chalk approach in teaching and teachers seen as the custodian of knowledge and thus dominates the lesson. Under this method therefore, the whole lot of scientific exercise ends on the mere presentation of the lesson through vocal sounds and sketch work done on the board with chalk. As aptly noted by Dunhill (1975) that the teacher presents and develops an exposition, argument or topic verbally to the pupil and either simultaneously or at the conclusion of his exposition, summaries under headings or illustrates diagrammatically the essential factors of the lesson on the background.
Demonstration method according to Oforah (2011) entails simultaneously showing and explaining the steps in an operation she further rioted that demonstration method explains the mechanism or materials and that the method is used with great effect on science subjects or science related topics that demand acquisition of skills like physical education, operating a machine, type writing among others.
Effecting teaching suggests that both the teacher and learner are fully accommodated in the process. Suffice to say that a change in behaviour may not easily manifest unless a teacher who of course is regarded as a guide in the teaching process involved. However, Banjo (1972) noted that knowledge is not something to be poured into the learners mind like water into an empty bucket appropriate method of teaching need to be employed for effective learning to take place. Alao (2010) affirmed that effectiveness of a programme could only be achieved instructions in that programme is carried out one step after the other starting from simple content to complex one. It is therefore the thrust of this study to investigate the effects of lecture and demonstration methods on teaching and learning Secondary School Chemistry with particular reference to selected secondary schools in Enugu State .Statement of the Problem
These are as many methods and techniques of teaching science as there are different views of the nature of science (Alao 2010). However, the traditional method of impacting knowledge which the lecture and demonstration portray require the recipients to listen with rapt attention as the fact are poured out by the teacher who is seen as the centre pieces of knowledge. Under this methods, students merely absorb and describe scientific teaching chemistry is one of the natural science that requires laboratory experiments. As Kayode (2010) rightly noted that laboratory is a place or room with appropriate for teaching science or doing science. In the wards of Ekpo (1992) the goal of laboratory activities is to ensure the development of manipulative skills, arouse the intellectual ability of students, argument and internalize what the students have learned theoretically. It has been observed by researchers in the field of science that there are certain scientific studies which appear rather abstract unless reduced to practical approach via the involvement of both the teacher and the learner in the process of discovery. In the words of the Federal Ministry of Education (1981). The essence teaching Integrated Science of which aspects of chemistry are involved is that it would introduced the students to logical thinking and scientific curiosity.
Teaching and learning go hand in hand. How well students learn depends to a large extent on the method used by the teacher to teach the subjects (Dergu 2010). This suggests that a weak teaching method would generate a weak learning process thereby retrogressing the expected change in the learning behaviour of students. It is therefore the intention of the researcher to take a critical look on the effect of lecture and demonstration methods on teaching and learning secondary school chemistry pinching the research tent on selected secondary schools in Enugu State.
Differentiating between mere teaching and quality teaching Dienve (1994) opined that while mere teaching is first making things know to people. Quality teaching according to him is concerned basically in the attainment of maximum beneficial learning for the individual with child-centered and skill-based approaches and technology application to reduce disparities and promote learning. Awotua (2001) noted that teaching is a compromising set of events, which affects learner in such a way that learning is facilitated and learning as change that result from experience rather than from natural process.Research Question
The following formed the research questions for the study.
1. Does the use of lecture and demonstration methods of teaching and learning chemistry in secondary schools make students perform better then any other method?.
2. Does the use of lecture and demonstration methods of teaching and learning chemistry in secondary schools make students develop mere interest in chemistry?
3. What are the factors responsible for the use of lecture and demonstration methods in teaching and learning chemistry in secondary schools?
4. How adaptable are the teachers using the lecture and demonstration methods to other methods?
Objective of study
The General objective of the study is to investigate the effects lecture and demonstration methods have on teaching and learning secondary school chemistry with particular reference to selected secondary schools in Enugu urban.
The specific objectives of the study include
i. To investigate whether the use of lecture and demonstration methods make students perform better in chemistry more than any method.
ii. To investigate whether the lecture and demonstration methods help students to develop more interest in learning chemistry.
iii. To examine the factors responsible for the use of lecture and demonstration methods in teaching and learning chemistry.
iv. To examine the extent teachers using the lecture and demonstration methods of teaching chemistry in the secondary schools.Significance of the Study
Theoretically the study would contribute to the existing knowledge and theories in teaching and learning. It will involve appropriate methods that would enhance teaching and learning particularly the teaching and learning of chemistry in the secondary school.
The study will equally provide a platform to understanding which of the teaching methods that would arouse the interest of students in teaching and learning chemistry in secondary school. The study will assist in proffering solutions to the use of the lecture and demonstration methods of teaching and learning chemistry in secondary schools.
Practically, the study will serve as a corpses to teachers of chemistry in the secondary schools on which of the methods to apply in the course of teaching chemistry.
It will equally provide the need for constant training and retraining of teachers to enable them adapt to the ever changing methodology involved in the teaching and learning process.Statement of Hypotheses
In order to guide this research, the following hypotheses were proposed.
1. The use of lecture and demonstration methods have significant effect in the teaching and learning chemistry in secondary school.
2. Students perform significantly better when lecture and demonstration methods are used than any other method.