Investigation into Topics Students and Teachers Find Difficult in Science Syllabus: A Case Study of Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State

Abstract

Abstract

The aim of this research work is to investigate the topics students and teachers find difficult in Basic Science syllabus in junior secondary schools in Ohakwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. They were total population of three hundred and twenty students (320) and eighty basic science teachers (80) in the state, stratified and proportionate sampling technique was adopted to select. The sampling population constitutes about 50% of the total population of the selected eight schools in the state. Sampling population of one hundred and sixty (160) students for junior secondary (JSS 3) students were used in the research because they have covered Basic Science syllabus. Forty Basic Science teachers were also selected for the research. The instruments used for data collection were objective questions of sixty items chosen from past junior secondary schools certificate examination questions. The questions were chosen in a way that all the topics in basic science syllabus were represented. A questionnaire comprising of thirty topics were administered to basic science teachers in order to know the topics they find easy or difficult. The result show that students find most of the topics easy with exception of circulatory system, disease vectors and control, ecology etc. it is observed that concept perceived difficult by teachers are also difficult to students. It is therefore suggested that those topics teachers and students find default should be modified.