Rationalisation And Science Instructional Implications Of Some Superstitious Beliefs About Natural Phenomena In Botswana

This empirical study investigated educational level and socio-economic status as correlates of child abuse and neglect. One hundred and forty-four Junior Secondary School (JSS) students (72 males, 72 females) randomly selected from four Secondary Schools in Ibadan metropolis participated in the study. The instrument employed was Child Abuse and Neglect Inventory with psychometric property of .68. Two null hypotheses were tested at .05 level of significance. Results showed that JSS students whose parents had lower educational level were significantly abused and neglected than their counterparts whose parents had higher educational levels. It was also found that JSS Students with lower socio- economic background experienced significant abuse and neglect than JSS students with higher socio-economic background. Based on these findings, recommendations were advanced towards curbing child abuse and neglect in the nation.

The study investigated the improving Junior Secondary School (JSS) Students’ Mathematics Achievement through Team-Assisted Visual Instruction. A 2x2x2 non- randomised control group Pre-test and Post-test quasi-experimental factorial design was adopted. It consisted of one independent variable (treatment) and two moderating variables (possession of Textbooks and Family Size). A purposive sampling procedure was used to select four government-owned JSS in Ijebu-Ode local government areas, Ogun state. In addition, an arm of intact class JSS II students were selected from each selected school through a simple random sampling procedure. Two instruments (MAT & ISP) were developed, validated and used for data collection. Data analysis involved Analysis of Covariance. The results showed that Treatment (F (1,247) = 14.13; P < 0.05); possession of Textbooks (F (1,247) = 51.21; P < 0.05) and Family Size (F (1,247) = 34.13; P < 0.05) had significant main effects on Students’ Achievement in Mathematics. Possession of Mathematics Textbooks and Family Size had significant interaction effect on Students’ Achievement in Mathematics (F (1,247) = 3.87; P < 0.05). Treatment, possession of Textbooks and Family Size had significant interaction effect on Students’ Achievement in Mathematics (F (1,247) = 13.98; P < 0.05). The recommendations and conclusion were made.

The study was undertaken to find out whether there is a significant relationship between the socio-cultural beliefs held by beginning junior secondary school (JSS) students in Botswana and their attitudes towards school science on one hand and their achievement in school science on the other hand. Seven research questions were formulated. The nature of the study dictated the employment of descriptive research (survey) design. The sample for the study consisted of 395 JSS students randomly selected from eleven junior secondary schools within 120-kilometre radius of Gaborone, the state capital of Botswana. The collection of the data for the study was accomplished by the use of three constructed and validated research instruments. The findings of the study include the fact that Setswana1 (Botswana) mythology has a telling effect, to a large extent, on the thought processes of the average Botswana JSS student. This resulted in significant negative relationships between the students' socio-cultural background and their attitudes towards school science on one hand and their achievement in school science on the other hand. But in spite of the negative effect of the elements of the students' culture on the ease with which they learn school science, Botswana JSS students are found to be positively disposed towards school science in general.

Background: The knowledge, attitude and practice of genotype screening is very important in the control and prevention of sickle cell disease (SCD). Methods of preventing this disease include preschool and premarital screening, genetic counseling, prenatal diagnosis, preconception diagnosis and implantation of normal embryos after in vitro fertilization and in vitro therapy using stem cell transplantation. The objective of this study is to determine the knowledge, attitude and the practice of genotype screening among junior and senior secondary school students in Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT, Abuja. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted among students aged 11-23 years in junior and senior secondary schools in Gwagwalada. A sample size of 264 was studied. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the schools, classes and participants. Data was collected by means of self-administered and semi-structured questionnaire. Demographic variables and associations were tested using Chi-square test with the level of statistical significance set at p <0.05, at 95% confidence interval. Results: This study showed that the students had good knowledge of SCD as 81.5% and 88.0% of the Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS) students respectively knew the causes of SCD, 89.5% and 92.7% of the JSS and SSS students knew it could be transmitted from parents to offspring, and 83.3% and 88.0% of the JSS and SSS students knew that marriage of two AS partners could result in a sickle cell child. Also. this study revealed that the students had positive attitudes to SCD as 68.5% and 72.6% of the JSS and SSS students agreed that pre-school practice could prevent SCD while 79.8% and 80.7% of the JSS and SSS students also agreed pre-marital screening could prevent SCD. In addition, 50.9% and 48% of the JSS and SSS students agreed that newborn screening for SCD should be encouraged. The practice of genotype screening was however found to be poor as much as 45.7% and 24.6% of the JSS and SSS students respectively do not know their genotypes, p = 0.001. Conclusion: The students generally have good knowledge and positive attitudes towards genotype screening; however, the practice of genotype screening was poor. The school authorities should therefore ensure pre-school genotype screening and teaching on SCD should be incorporated early into the school curriculum to reduce the burden of the disease.

The intelligence and mathematical ability of Tibetan and Han Chinese junior and senior secondary school and college students in Tibet was assessed by a modified version of the Standard Progressive Matrices and a mathematics test. Among junior secondary school students, the Tibetans obtained a lower IQ than the Chinese by 12.6 IQ points, and also scored lower on mathematics. Tibetan senior secondary school students and college students also obtained lower IQs and lower scores on mathematics tests than the Chinese.

This study examined the effect of the one-minute-paper cooperative learning strategy on junior secondary school student's academic achievement in business studies in Ogun State Nigeria. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design with a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial matrix. Three research questions and 4 hypotheses guided the study. 200 Junior Secondary School II students, who in their intact classes, were selected from four secondary schools in Ogun State, were used for the experiment. Business Studies Achievement Test (BSAT) was the instrument validated and used for data collection. The reliability coefficient of the BSAT was determined using the Cronbach alpha technique and the analysis yielded a coefficient of 0.85. Mean was used to answer the research questions while Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) was employed to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed that there is a significant difference between the mean scores of students taught business studies with a one-minute paper cooperative learning strategy and those taught with lecture methods. Additionally, a significant difference exists between the academic achievement of the rural and urban students when taught business studies with a one-minute paper. The study did not find a significant influence on business students' achievement scores. The study recommends among others the adoption of a one-minute paper cooperative learning strategy in teaching business studies in secondary schools.

Education is a lifetime achievement that contributes towards the socio-economic development of the society particularly youth. Parenting style plays an important role in education of their children and thus, shaping their career. The study analysed the influence of different parenting styles on the academic performance of students in Junior Secondary Schools in Botswana. Quantitative data was collected using a valid and reliable questionnaire through a survey of randomly sampled 130 students (n = 130) in Junior Secondary Schools. One way Analysis of Variance revealed that none of the parenting styles: authoritative, authoritarian, permissive and neglectful style had significant influence on students’ academic performance. It implied that parents are not the only factors that can affect the children’s academic performance. As parenting styles shown insignificant influence on student academic performance, a similar study can be conducted by including some other parental factors which might have influence on students’ performance. In order to gain deeper understanding on the influence of parenting styles on student’s academic achievement, a qualitative study can be conducted using perceptions of students and parents.

This study assessed the preparedness and impact of NCE-trained mathematics teachers on Junior Secondary School students’ academic achievement in Benue State. Both cross-sectional survey and experimental research designs were employed for the study. The population of the study consisted of all 45,172 JSS 2 students in 749 secondary schools. A sample of 360 students was selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data was collected using the Mathematic Achievement Test (MAT) and questionnaire. Data was analysed using charts, frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation, and simple regression analysis. The study revealed that the level of preparedness of Mathematics teachers trained in the NCE program in the study area was low. Furthermore, there was no effectiveness of NCE-trained teachers in delivering Mathematics instruction. However, the study established that there was a significant impact of NCE-trained Mathematics teachers on students’ academic achievement in Junior Secondary Schools in the study area. The study further showed that the problems faced by NCE-trained teachers for the effective delivery of Mathematics instruction were absence of education professional academy, lack of professional and in-service trainings, poor welfares, politicising education among others. The study concluded that improvement in the level of training of NCE Mathematics teachers will lead to higher academic achievement among students in junior secondary schools in the study area. The study recommended that the government restructure the NCE program and ensure that only qualified teachers are allowed to teach at all levels of education in the study area.

This study was designed to identify and analyse problem of word recognition in reading among junior secondary school (JSS) students in Gwagwalada and Kwali Area Councils of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The study adopted a survey research design. The population for the study was 4,535 JSS II students. 3 research questions and 2 null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The instruments used for data collection was English language reading passage developed by the researcher. To ensure validity of the instrument, the instrument was subjected to face validation by English language teachers in FCT College of Education Zuba, Abuja. The reliability coefficient computed for the instrument was found to be 0.75 using Cronbach Alpha formula. Frequency and Mean was used to answer the research questions; while t-test statistics was employed to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study found out that that the junior secondary school students committed errors in word recognitions during reading and male students had more problems in word recognitions during reading than the female students. The study also found out that there was no significant difference between the errors committed by male and female students in reading. Consequently, it was recommended among others that stakeholders in education should provide facilities like library and teaching aids that can encourage students reading competence and improve their performance in English language. Teachers should pay particular attention to the teaching of reading in English Language.

This study examined the effectiveness of subtitled videos in enhancing vocabulary development among Junior Secondary School (JSS II) students in Argungu Local Government, Kebbi State, Nigeria. Using a quasi-experimental design, the research involved 312 students divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received vocabulary instruction through researcher-developed subtitled videos focusing on agriculture and health topics, while the control group was taught using traditional methods. Validated and reliable instruments were employed for data collection, with analysis conducted through mean, standard deviation, and independent samples t-tests at a 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed statistically significant improvements in vocabulary achievement among students exposed to subtitled videos compared to those taught through conventional methods (p &lt; 0.05). However, no significant differences were found based on gender (p = 0.902) or school location (p = 0.090), indicating the universal effectiveness of this approach across demographic variables. These results suggest that subtitled videos serve as an equitable and impactful pedagogical tool for vocabulary instruction in diverse educational settings. The study recommends the integration of subtitled videos into English language curricula at the junior secondary level, particularly for vocabulary instruction. Additionally, it advocates for government provision of audiovisual resources to both urban and rural schools to support technology-enhanced learning. These findings contribute to ongoing discourse about innovative language teaching methodologies in resource-constrained environments.

The purpose of the study was to develop mathematical instructional card game titled &lt;i&gt;algebrameter&lt;/i&gt; and determine its efficacy in remediating junior secondary school (JSS) students’ learning difficulties in algebra and geometry. The study employed research and development design. A sample of 120 JSS II students drawn from a population of 4800 JSS II students in Nsukka Education Zone, using multi-stage sampling procedure participated in the study. Algebra and geometry achievement test (AGAT) comprised 30 multiple choice questions developed by the researchers was used for data collection. The internal consistence of AGAT was determined using Kuder-Richardson formula 20 (KR-20) formula, which yielded α value of 0.82. Research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the hypothesis was tested using analysis of covariance. The results of this study revealed that students who were exposed to &lt;i&gt;algebrameter&lt;/i&gt; significantly performed better than students who were not exposed to &lt;i&gt;algebrameter&lt;/i&gt; package.

Language teachers need to see technology as an instrument that can make language teaching and learning better. However, the usefulness of application software in the actual teaching and learning process of learning a specific language, such as Arabic, remains unexplored. This study aims to analyze the awareness and perceived instructional usefulness of Arabic language application software among junior secondary school students. This study adopted a descriptive survey type, the population for this study included all junior secondary schools. The purposive sampling technique was used to select 240 junior secondary school students. The data gathered were analyzed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). T-test was used to test the difference between variables in hypothesis one and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the difference among variables in null hypothesis two at 0.05 level of significance. The study found that there is a significant difference in the level of awareness of Arabic language application software among junior secondary school students on the basis of gender (F.cal. = 3.20 &gt; tvalue= 1.96). The study discovered that there is a significant difference in the perceived instructional usefulness of Arabic language application software among junior secondary schools’ students on the basis of class level (F-cal 2.41 &gt; Tvalue 1.96). It was concluded that there is a significant difference in the level of awareness of male and female students on the Arabic language application software for learning of Arabic language among junior secondary schools’ students.

The study was carried out on the evaluation of the effects of over-population on teaching and learning of among students in junior secondary schools in Potiskum Local Government Area. To guide the study, 3 research questions in line with purpose of the study were formulated. Descriptive Survey Research Design was adopted for the study. The target population of the study was the entire teachers in randomly selected four junior secondary schools in Potiskum Local Government Area. Stratified Random Sampling Technique was adopted to select 40 teachers from the 4 junior secondary schools to constitute the sample size of the study. Structure Questionnaire was the major instrument used to collect data for the study. The data collected was analyzed using Mean and Standard Deviation for the questionnaires. The findings of the study revealed that, inability of teachers to paid attention to individual students that need special attention, lack of classroom control and management at overcrowded classroom and teachers found it difficult in conducting effective continuous assessment in classroom are some of the problems faced by teachers and students in teaching and learning in over-populated classrooms in junior secondary schools of Potiskum Local Government Area. The findings of the study also revealed that, high numbers of the students in classroom affect academic performance and that smaller class’s size lead to improvement of academic performance are some of the effects of over-population on the quality of teaching and learning in junior secondary schools in the study area. The findings of the study further revealed that, Admission of the students in junior secondary schools should be based on minimum standard as specified National Junior Secondary School Curriculum and provision of modern teaching aids such as overhead projectors, power point presentation device that each and every individual student will view the content of the lesson in the classroom are some of the ways forwards for overcoming the problems faced by teachers and students in over-populated classroom during teaching and learning in junior secondary schools in the study area. It was recommended that, a ratio of 1:40 teachers to students is hereby suggested for junior secondary schools as stated in the National Policy of Education (2013).

The study investigated the relationship between financial resources and junior secondary school students’ academic performance in Cross River State, Nigeria. Four null hypotheses were formulated and tested. Ex-post facto design was used for the study. Subjects who participated in the study were 397 students from 277 public junior secondary schools in the study area but data was collected from only 386 representing 97.2 percent. Two instruments titled “Financial Resources Questionnaire (FRQ) and Junior Secondary School Students’ Academic Performance Scale (JSSSAPS)” were used for data collection. Data was analyzed using Population t-test and Multiple Regression analysis. The result indicated that junior secondary school students’ academic performance is significantly high. The result further revealed that financial resources in terms of: investment in school facilities, allocation of financial resources, structure of financial resources and amount of financial resources jointly predicts students’ academic performance. It was concluded that school business just like every other economic unit and business concerns alike, cannot thrive by mere availability of financial resources but by its utilization.

Effect of constructivist-based teaching strategy on academic performance of students in integrated science at the junior secondary school level