Junior Secondary School Level Research Articles

Gender Imbalance in Teaching Profession and Learning Outcome in Mathematics in Primary Schools in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State

The study assessed the imbalances in teaching profession in both public and private Nursery and Primary Schools, Public Secondary schools in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State to determine the percentage/ ratio of imbalance and its relationship to learning outcome in mathematics at the primary school level. The study employed the descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised of all the seventy public and private Nursery and Primary Schools and thirty two public Secondary Schools with six hundred and sixty teachers in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State. The data generated were analysed using the chi-square statistics. The findings from the study revealed that there was significant gender imbalance in teaching profession in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State. The worst hit is the public nursery and primary school with an imbalance percentage of 78.87% and 21.13% in favour of female teachers while the private schools have a percentage imbalance of 76.02% and 23.98% in favour of female teachers. The female pupils’ performance in mathematics was better than that of the male pupils. The study revealed that at the secondary school the imbalance was significant at the junior secondary school level and milled at the senior secondary. The study recommended the immediate reversal of the trend of imbalance by employing more male teachers into the public and private nursery and primary schools. This will improve the academic achievement of male pupils in mathematics, hence achieving the best practice in Nigeria education.

ID Model Development and Validation: Improving Secondary School Students’ Mathematics Achievement through Cooperative Learning Strategies

Many secondary school students within the Caribbean region are consistently failing to grasp basic mathematical concepts. The purpose of this Design and Development Research was to generate an Instructional Design (ID) Model that demonstrates how the effective use of cooperative learning strategies improved students’ mathematical achievement, at a junior secondary school in the British Virgin Islands. The researcher collected information from Mathematics teachers (n = 5) and their students (n = 5). Each participant was involved in semi-structured interviews and MAXQDA12 was employed for analysis. Two research questions guided this research. The results of this research showed that the consistent use of effective cooperative learning strategies contributed to students’ academic achievement in Mathematics, especially at the junior secondary school level. The results stand to benefit both Mathematics teachers of junior secondary schools and their students. There is one recommendation for future research.

Project Based Learning (PjBL) Learning Model with STEM Approach in Natural Science Learning for the 21st Century

The writing of this paper aims to discuss the learning of PjBL with the STEM approach to science learning in the face of the demands of the 21st century. The science learning model that is in accordance with the STEM approach is one of the Project Based Learning learning models. The STEM learning model with STEM approach is project-based learning by integrating STEM fields that can provide students with opportunities for contextual learning through complex activities such as exploring planning learning activities, implementing projects collaboratively, and ultimately producing a product outcome. The purpose of this paper will also describe the concept of STEM and the implementation of the STEM approach to science learning. The method used in this paper is a literature review by selecting several articles and journals regarding the STEM approach and its implementation in junior secondary education. In addition, a basic curriculum competency study of 2013 was conducted at the junior high school level that could be integrated into the STEM approach. The results of the study show that some basic competencies at the junior secondary school level in science learning can be integrated with the STEM approach in the form of activities to familiarize the STEM approach in the classroom and the provision of projects to students. Thus the implementation of the STEM approach at the junior secondary school level in science learning can be done in Indonesia in order to prepare competent human resources in facing the challenges of the 21st century. The Pjbl approach and STEM can shape students into human resources who are capable of critical and creative thinking, systematic and logical so as to be able to meet 21st century human resource standards and be able to face increasingly complex global challenges.

Effects of peer tutoring and study questions–based instructional strategies on students’ achievement and attitude towards mathematics in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of peer tutoring and study questions - based instructional strategies on students’ achievement and attitude towards mathematics. The study was carried out on Bayelsa State public secondary schools mathematics students. Two research questions were raised and two corresponding null hypotheses that were tested at 0.05 level of significance guided the study. A pretest- posttest control group quasi-experimental design was employed. The study made use of two experimental groups and a control group. The purposive sampling technique was used to select 173 junior secondary class 3 (JS3) mathematics students from six mixed secondary schools. Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) and Mathematics Students’ Attitude Questionnaire (MSAQ) were the two instruments used in the study. These instruments were validated using face validity, content validity and construct validity. All the research questions were answered with mean and standard deviation. Furthermore, all the null hypotheses were tested using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and Scheffe test statistics. One of the findings shows that peer tutoring and study questions - based instructional strategies were effective in the improvement of students’ achievement in mathematics. The findings indicated that peer tutoring and study questions - based instructional strategies have some relative positive impact on students’ attitude in mathematics. The researchers thus recommended that peer tutoring and study questions – based instructional strategies should be adopted by mathematics teachers as instructional strategies at the Junior Secondary School level in Bayelsa State.

Application of indigenous Language (IGBO) for Improving the Teaching of Vocational Agriculture at the Junior Secondary Schools in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

This study was aimed at determining the application of indigenous language (Igbo) for improving teaching of Vocational Agriculture at the Junior Secondary Schools. Four research questions and one null hypothesis guided the study. The design of the study was descriptive survey research design and the population of the study was two hundred and seventy six (276) teachers comprised (140 Igbo language teachers and 136 Vocational Agriculture teachers. There was no sampling, as the entire population was used for the study. A questionnaire designed by the researchers was used to collect data. The data analysis was done using mean, standard deviation and t-test was used to test the hypothesis. The results of the study indicated that the indigenous language (Igbo) could be used to teach vocational agriculture at the Junior Secondary Schools. Based on the findings, it was recommended that vocational agriculture teachers should use their local or indigenous language (Igbo) in teaching and learning of vocational agriculture at the Junior Secondary School level. Government and all the authorities concerned in Junior Secondary School administration should ensure that teachers’ manuals and hand books in vocational agriculture are fully translated in Igbo language for effective teaching and learning. Keywords: Indigenous Language; Igbo; Teaching; Vocational; Agriculture; Junior Secondary. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-36-03 Publication date: December 31 st 2020

Teachers’ Attitudes towards Inclusion of Blind or Partially-Sighted Students in Secondary Schools in Nigeria

Purpose: This study investigated the attitudes of secondary school teachers towards students with blindness or partial sight in selected states in Nigeria. Method: The authors utilised the modified version of a previous instrument to collect data from 306 secondary school teachers in Nigeria. Six basic questions were established to address: respondents’ attitudes towards inclusion; training acquired related to teaching; knowledge pertaining to policy and legislation; confidence levels; impact of geographical location; and differences in attitudes by the variables of subject(s) taught, school level taught, and years of teaching experience. Results: Attitudes of participants were mixed but generally indicated a positive trend. The level of training was low, with teachers showing limited knowledge of policy and legislation. A little over a quarter (27%) of them lacked confidence in teaching. There were differences in attitudes related to the geographical location of respondents. Those who taught at the senior secondary school level tended to have higher attitude scores on average than their counterparts at the junior secondary school level. Conclusion and Limitations: This study used self-report measures, although observations and interviews could be additional ways to evaluate the attitudes of participants throughout the country. Moreover, in-service programmes should be implemented to increase the knowledge base and expand the experiences of teachers in line with established policies and legislation.

Mathematics Curriculum Review In Junior Secondary School Level: Implementation Of Web-Based CRMS

This study aims to analyze the Indonesia National Curriculum (Kurikulum 2013) of mathematics at junior secondary school level. The tool used is the Web-based Curriculum Review Mapping System (CRMS). The CRMS was developed to analyze the curriculum, as expected outcome, through teachers lesson plan. The method used in this research was descriptive with a qualitative approach. In this research, the research was the main instrument assisted with interview guide sheets and documentations. The object of this research is the national curriculum for mathematics at a junior high school with three mathematics teachers as respondents to be interviewed. Analysis of the data used in the study is a qualitative analysis with three stages: data reduction, exposure, and drawing conclusions and verification. Qualitative data analysis is carried out simultaneously with data collection process. The results of the study state that the CRMS is at easy to implement by the teachers of mathematics. They can review their mathematics lesson plan using this system. Furthermore, by this system teachers could create various lesson plans.

Factors Militating Against the Effective Teaching and Learning of Krio at the Junior Secondary School Level:

This study was aimed at investigating factors militating against the effective teaching and learning of Krio at the Junior Secondary School (JSS) Level in a sample of JSS pupils in selected schools in the Western Area of Freetown, Sierra Leone. Questionnaires were administered to both teachers of Krio and pupils offering the subject at the targeted level. These, alongside observation and focus group discussions, were used to determine the level of training and experience of the teachers; facilities which support the teaching and learning of Krio; attitudes of teachers, pupils and other stakeholders towards the teaching and learning of Krio; mode and frequency of assessment; provision of institutional support; and, the success rate of pupils at the Basic Educational Certificate Exams (BECE) in the selected schools. Three schools were targeted. In each of these schools, questionnaires were administered to 50 pupils, giving a total of 150 respondents. A total of eleven teachers were sampled. The study revealed that: The teachers of Krio in the selected schools were and trained and qualified. However, none of them studied krio as a major and only about one third read it as a minor. Teaching and learning materials are inadequate, and time allocated to the teaching of krio is insufficient. Attitude is a major factor which militates against the teaching and learning of krio in the selected schools. Written assignments, tests and exams are the main assessment tools. Institutional support (in-service trainings/workshops/seminars) plays a great role in building teachers’ capacity to teach the subject as all the teachers sampled did not study krio as a major subject. BECE results (krio -2010 and 2011) indicate that only a small percentage of the pupils at JSSIII opted for krio

The teaching of health education as a secondary school subject in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Health education (HED) as a subject in the secondary school curriculum has been made a compulsory subject in West African Examination Council (WAEC) and Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSCE) examinations for any candidate wanting to study any course in the medical and health-related disciplines in Nigerian tertiary institutions. This study seeks to find out the extent of the teaching of HED as a school subject in secondary schools in Bayelsa State; not as components of other subjects like health science, biology, and physical and health education. The proposed approach of the study was a State-wide survey of the teaching of HED as a school subject in secondary schools. This was done by involving 114 schools out of the 192 schools in the State. Findings revealed that out of the 114 schools visited, 38 schools only teach Physical and Health Education (PHE) as a subject in the Junior Secondary School level. During interviews with heads of schools that teaches PHE; it was gathered that the teachers who teach PHE also doubles as teachers of HED at the Senior Secondary (SSS) level. Implying that only 38 schools out of the 114 sampled schools teach (HED) as a school subject; this reveals an abysmal absence of the teaching of Health Education as a school subject in Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The none-teaching of HED underscores its importance to healthful-living It is therefore recommended that health education as a subject be encouraged and taught in all SSS in the State.

The Impact of Insurgency on Universal Basic Education Students’ Attitude towards Schooling in Northern Borno Senatorial District, Nigeria

Basic education is the first level of education at primary one (1) level to basic nine (9) which is the junior secondary school level in Nigeria. However, achieving education level for all Nigerian children, need a secured teaching and learning environment. This has become extremely difficult due to the current insurgency in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria. This study examines the impact of insurgency on Universal Basic Education (UBE) students’ attitude towards schooling in Northern Borno Senatorial District. The population of study comprises of all junior secondary school (JSS 11) students in Northern Borno state which comprises of nine (9) local government areas. Purposive sampling technique was used. hence, all the ninety-five (95) JSS 11 students from four (4) local government area of Northern Borno residing at Bakassi Internal Displaced Person Camp in Maiduguri were used as sampling size. The researcher used purposive sampling because most of the schools in Northern Borno are still not accessible. The instrument for data collection was self-made questionnaires. Effect of insurgency on Basic Education Questionnaire (EIBEQ) on student’s attitude to schooling in Northern Borno. Descriptive statistics of mean was used to answer the research question. The study found that insurgency has to a very high extent impacted negatively on student’s attitude towards schooling in Northern Borno. The study therefore, recommended that the government should provide schools with qualified counsellors to counsel traumatized students.

Eradicating Poor Achievement in Basic Science and Technology through Learning Activity Package: How Do Students Behave in Nigeria?

This study was designed to determine the effects of Learning Activity Package (LAP) teaching method on students’ achievement in basic science and technology with special consideration to the moderating effect of learning styles. A pre-test - post-test quasi-experimental design was adopted for the study. Three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study for data collection and analysis. The sample for the study comprised sixty-nine (69) students from two (2) co-educational junior secondary schools in Ijebu-Ode local government area of Ogun state, Nigeria. Basic science and technology achievement test (BSAT) and learning styles self-assessment questionnaire were used as instruments in collecting data for the study. Data collected were analysed using ANCOVA and MCA in order to determine the magnitude of students’ post-test achievement scores in basic science and technology. Findings of the study showed a significant main effect of teaching strategy on students’ academic achievement in basic science and technology (F (1, 57) = 8.362, P < 0.05). However, no significant main effect of learning styles on students’ academic achievement in Basic Science and Technology (F (1, 57) = 0.070, P > 0.05) was revealed, neither any significant interaction effects of teaching strategies were found. Based on the findings, it was recommended that Learning Activity Package (LAP) teaching method should be incorporated into the teaching of basic science and technology at the junior secondary school level. Furthermore, Learning Activity Package should be particularly introduced into system approach to instruction in basic science and technology at all levels of teacher education.

COLLABORATIVE LANGUAGE PEDAGOGY AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN EKITI STATE

Abstract
 This study examined the effect of collaborative teaching on students’ academic achievement in English language in Ekiti State. The population consisted of 161 Junior Secondary school three students made up of 103 males and 58 females selected from Federal Science and Technical College, Usi-Ekiti, Ekiti State. A total of 20 students (10 males) and (10 females) randomly selected from the school constituted the sample. The twenty students were divided into two groups-Experimental and Control. Group A was used as experimental group while group B was used as the control group. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The data collected were analysed using mean and percentages to answer the research questions while t-test and chi-square statistics were used to test the hypotheses. The major findings show that the students taught with Collaborative Teaching Strategy (CTS) achieved significantly better outputs than those of the control group. The study also discovered that there was no significant gender difference in the students’ achievement in English language. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that collaborative teaching strategy should be adopted as a more effective approach to teaching of English Language at the Junior Secondary School levels.

A future-focused conception of the New Zealand curriculum: culturally responsive approaches to technology education

New Zealand has had a technology curriculum since the mid 1990s. The curriculum has recently been revised, with a view to foster students’ digital fluency and ability to function in a technologically mediated world. The nature of schools is also changing in New Zealand. Advocated approaches encourage students’ engagement in creative and practical tasks, problem-solving and critical thinking, in relation to a range of global and local issues. This paper reports on qualitative research, to explore how two teachers fostered “future-focused” learning, within an innovative learning environment, at a junior secondary school level. Data were collected through observational and self-report methods. The findings suggest that future-focused approaches to an integrated curriculum are affected by teachers’ collaborative skills and knowledge of culturally responsive, digital, and learner-centred pedagogies.

Prognostic significance of serum cortisol in catecholamine-resistant pediatric shock

The current trend in second language teaching in Cameroon is that of a shift from the Objective based approach also called the communicative approach to the competency-based approach (CBA). This alteration should normally trigger change in the objectives, material designing and above all, the assessment strategies to reflect the new method. In the light of the above, this paper investigates the assessment tactics of teachers of the junior secondary school levels in a bit to check if it is in line with the competency-based assessment principles. It thus juxtaposes the theory of the competency-based assessment versus the practice in Cameroon. This researcher opines that, the principles of a CBA assessment are not respected by most language teachers in Cameroon because of lack of knowledge and the difficulty in material designing and development. Through the use of a questionnaire administered to teachers of English, observation of past test and examination questions, observation of the logbook and interviews granted to some pedagogic inspectors, data has been elicited and analysed. Findings revealed that the assessment tactics used by teachers do not reflect that required of the competency-based assessment. Rather, the judgemental policy continues to follow that of the objective based approach and thus structuralism and linguistic input is prioritized over functionality and usage required of the current methods.

Continuous Assessment as a Predictor of Students' Achievement in Mathematics at the Junior Secondary School Level in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria

Continuous Assessment as a Predictor of Students' Achievement in Mathematics at the Junior Secondary School Level in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria

Step children of the science department? The neglect of the Grade 8 and 9 natural sciences teachers in South African secondary schools

To date, little research has been conducted on subject leadership by primary and/or junior secondary school heads of department (HODs). Unlike their senior secondary school counterparts, South African science HODs have the more complex task of leading in the multidisciplinary context of natural sciences (NS 1 ). Such leadership comes in addition to the complications of role ambiguity, limited time and authority that are inherent in the HOD position. Using interviews and 360° multi-rater by four teachers and subject meeting observations, data were transcribed and categorised into themes that describe the instructional leadership practices of three NS HODs in South Africa. This paper is part of a more comprehensive PhD study. It suggests that providing leadership for NS teaching is more complex in practice than has been reported to date. In the context of increasing focus on accountability and national testing, the unintended consequence has been the neglect of the junior secondary NS teachers by the HODs. Furthermore, the data suggest that the HODs tend to limit their attention to areas of their own specialisation. The paper concludes with a conceptual framework that provides guidance for improving instructional leadership by the HODs in such multidisciplinary contexts, especially for the junior secondary school levels. It also recommends the restructuring of the conglomerate departments to make them more effective.

LEVEL OF AWARENESS , EXTENT OF INVOLVEMENT AND OBSTACLES TO EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL GENDER POLICY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN SOKOTO STATE

The paper examined the level of awareness, the extent of involvement and probable obstacles to the effective implementation of the national gender policy on basic education in Sokoto State. A sample of 180 teachers was drawn from the population of teachers at the Junior Secondary School level in Sokoto Slate through a stratified random sampling technique. A questionnaire tagged Teachers Awareness and Involvement Questionnaire (TAIO) was used to obtain information from the teachers. Results of the study show that teachers in the state are not aware of the existence of the National Gender Policy in basic education, they are also not involved in the implementation of the policy. The most important obstacle to the successful implementation of the policy being teachers' insufficient knowledge of the various aspects of the policy. It was recommended among others that teachers should be given adequate training and orientation for the implementation of the policy considering the fa c t that teachers are the cornerstone of the implementation of any education policy.

Assessment of Laboratory Resources, Teachers’ and Students’ Involvement in Practical Activities in Basic Science in Junior Secondary Schools in Osun State Nigeria

Abstract The study assessed the availability of laboratory resources, teachers’ and students’ involvement in practical activities in Basic Science in junior secondary schools in Osun State Nigeria. These were with a view to ascertain the availability of laboratory resources in the teaching of Basic Science in junior secondary schools and the involvement of teachers and students to practical activities in the state. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. The population for the study consisted of all Basic Science teachers, facilities for teaching Basic Science and all junior secondary school II students in Osun State. Ten schools were selected from each senatorial district through simple random sampling technique, from each school, ten students from JSSII were also randomly selected through simple random sampling technique to take part in the study. Basic Science teachers found in the schools were purposively used for the study because of their discipline and numbers. The facilities for the research were also purposively selected based on a must for teacher to use in the course of their teaching. Three instruments were used for data collection. They are: Observation Checklist for Basic Science Laboratory Facilities (OCBSLF), Questionnaire for Teachers on Teachers Involvement in Practical Activities (QTTIPA) and Students’ Questionnaire on Basic Science Laboratory Facilities (SQBSLF). Data collected were analyzed through simple percentages. The results of the study showed that 14(40.0%) schools indicated that beakers, boiling tubes, conical flask and cylinder are available while 21(60.0%) schools indicated that beakers, boiling tubes, conical flask and cylinder are not available, 10(28.6%) schools indicated that flat bottom flasks are available while 25(71.4%) schools indicated they are not available, 11(31.4%) schools indicated that round bottom flasks are available while 24(68.6%) schools indicated they are not available, 8(22.9%) schools indicated that hand lenses are available while 27(77.1%) schools indicated they are not available, 7(20.0%) schools indicated that Ammeters are available while 28(80.0%) schools indicated they are not available, 9(25.7%) schools indicated that Resistance box are available while 26(74.3%) schools indicated they are not available, 3((8.57%) schools indicated that plastic mammalian models (heart, eye, ear, and skeleton) and First Aid box (fully equipped) 3((8.57%) are available while 32(91.3%) schools indicated that they not available, 1(2.86%) schools indicated that Meter Rule, Rheostats, Connecting wires, Spatula are available while 34(97.4%) schools indicated they are not available. The results of the study showed that on the average teachers did not use laboratory facilities to teach the students and students are rarely involved in practical activities in schools. The study concluded that laboratory resources are not available to teach students Basic Science in junior secondary school level.

Factors Affecting Gender Equity in the Choice of Science and Technology Careers among Secondary School Students in Edo State, Nigeria

<p class="apa">The study investigated the factors affecting gender equity in science and technology among senior secondary school students. The study was carried out at the University of Benin Demonstration Secondary School in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. One hundred and fifty students of average age 15 years in their penultimate year were administered the questionnaires for the study. The data for the study was collected from a survey instrument titled, “Career Determinants. Analysis of the data revealed that sex, parental, peer influences, social and cultural stereotyping were the major factors affecting gender inequity in the choice of careers in science and technology among secondary school students. Less than 40% of the girls indicated interest in science and technology subjects even though they had the ability. More than sixty-five percent of the boys indicated interest in science and technology subjects even though they were not academically prepared for them. It was therefore suggested that gender equity in science and technology could be fostered by designing a training program in science to build confidence and assertive skills in students at the junior secondary school level. Recommendations were also made that seminars should be conducted for parents and teachers in primary schools to desensitize stereotyping acquired through socialization processes and cultural practices.</p>

Influence of Laboratory Method on Students’ Mathematical Creativity in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State

This study investigated the influence of laboratory method on students’ mathematical creativity in junior secondary schools in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The study was guided by three research questions and three hypotheses. The Pretest- Postest non-randomise control group design was adopted for the study. A sample of 122 students from two intact classes selected randomly was used for the study. The instruments for data collection were the Mathematics Creativity Test (MCT) and Students Attitude towards Mathematics Questionnaire (SAMQ). The data collected were analysed using mean and standard deviation, and the Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The result indicated that Laboratory method of teaching significantly enhance students’ creativity in mathematics. The method equally enhanced mathematical creativity of both male and female students. Students’ attitude towards mathematics also influenced mathematical creativity significantly. Among others, it was recommended that mathematics teachers should explore the use of laboratory method in teaching various concepts in Junior Secondary School level.