ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to find out
the factors affecting the effective study of economics in Oshimili North Local
Government Area of Delta state. The purpose of the study is to identify the factors
affecting the effective teaching and learning of economics in secondary schools
in Oshimili North Local Government Area. The research design of the study was
descriptive survey design. The population of the study was ten thousand, nine
hundred (10,900) students and seventy-five (75) teachers in the senior
secondary schools. One hundred and fifty (150) teachers and students were
sampled in five selected schools. The instrument used for data collection was
structured questionnaires. The validity and reliability of the instrument were
tested. Data collected were presented in a table, mean and frequency
distributions were used to analyse the data. The findings show that teaching
and learning of economics in our secondary schools are affected by unqualified
economics teachers, poor method of teaching, inadequate instructional materials
and attitudes and interest of the teachers and students. Based on the findings
some recommendations were made thus Employment of economics teachers by the
government through the ministry of education should be strictly based on merit
so as to make it possible for only those who studied the course to be
appointed.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
of the study
Economics is one
of an important subject taught in the secondary schools. It is important to
both students and the society at large because it cuts across all spheres of
human endeavour as it can be seen in its simpler definition by professor lord
Robbins (1975), thus economics as a science which studies human behavior as a
relationship between ends and scarce means which have alternative uses. By this
definition Robbins emphasized economics as a science and that economic analysis
should be based on scientific and logical process rather than vague judgments.
Economics
according to Hornby, (1973) is the study of production and distribution of
money and goods of a country. It is the study of how people of the society
choose to use their limited resources like land, capital, labour, goods and
technical knowledge to provide various goods and services for the consumption
of man. Pigou (1972), believed that economics makes it easier to institute
practical measures to promote welfare, so that the society may build upon the
work of economics. He concluded by saying that the study is not worthwhile for
its own sake but only for the healing that the knowledge may help to bring.
Economics is relevant to the field of science and art. It enables the
individuals to think in the sense that he/she is able to apply its principles
to solve practical problems and avoid unnecessary costly mistake. It also
enables individuals to understand better the relationship between himself and
his fellow human beings in his effort to make a living.
All over the
world, the importance of economics as an instrument of nation building and
national development cannot be over-emphasized. It is based on this axiom that
Nigeria as a sovereign nation requires excellent qualified teacher and teaching
aids in the students understanding of the need to effect a change in National
Development through the teaching and learning of economics in the senior
secondary schools preferably those in SS1 to SS3.
There has also
been a traumantic growth in commerce and industry since independence which
invariably calls for specialized and qualified manpower to make the various
aspects of the economy become imperative. This lead to the introduction of
economics as a separate subject of study in the new National policy of
education. Economics subject was also included in the curriculum that is geared
towards producing a group of people who can study and improve the structure of
Nigerian Economy. Economics as a field of study provides individuals with sound
knowledge on how to be self-employed and better the lots of people in his or
her own society.
Profoundly, in Oshimili
North Local Government Area of Delta State, there has been a lot of factors
militating against the teaching and learning of economics in the secondary
schools, which invariably calls for the study of this research work.
Consequent upon
this foregoing therefore, we can briefly look at the word “teach and teaching”.
The Oxford Advance Learners Dictionary 6th edition (2001:1220),
defined the word teach to mean a given lesson to students in a schools,
colleges, universities, etc to make somebody learn something by giving
information about it to show somebody how to do something so that they will be
able to do it by themselves. Lark (1995), also sees teaching as the interaction
between a teacher and student under the teacher’s responsibility in order to
bring about the expected change in the students’ behaviour. Alaezi (1990:1),
describes teaching as the business of all those involved in the act of changing
human behaviour and transformation of society for better, particularly when
their actions render them perceptibly significant respectable and recognizable
to others because of the consequences they accomplish and the unique manner
they do them. He emphasized that a teacher must possess knowledge and method of
imparting it that could bring about positive change in learners attitude or
behavior.
According to
Mukherjee, (2002), learning is seen as an inference from some performance of
the organization resulting in an enduring change of behaviour. Hengenhan,
(1982), defined learning as a relatively permanent change in behavioural
potentiality that occurs as a result of reinforced practice. Also, Omebe,
(2001:5) defined learning as a change in behaviour that is as a result of
experience and which cause people to understand situation differently.
It is therefore,
a great concern in this regard to give absolute attention to the quality and
the numbers of the teachers we have in the secondary schools to enable us
achieve and attain the goals for which these secondary schools were established
without any impediment or hampering this purpose. Hence, being properly trained
as a professional teacher and having a sound knowledge of what to teach is the
most vital prerequisite for a good qualified teacher. Unqualified teachers in
our secondary schools today in teaching of economics have acted persistently as
canker-worm devouring the efforts of achieving the educational objectives for
this subject. It is observed that a person can never give out what he does not
have. Nwanna (1968) said that the personality of teachers has significant
influence on student’s performance.
The proper
application of teaching materials is very important in the effective studying
of economics. The quality of the teaching materials used in teaching and
learning appear to affect greatly the teaching and learning of economics.
According to Okorita (2004), there is urgent need to provide the schools with facilities
and materials so as to boost the teaching and learning which will call for
education for all the year 2010. Writing further, he attributed the largely
factors affecting the teaching and learning of economics in secondary schools
to lack of adequate facilities and teaching materials in the school surrounding
which could have facilitated the teaching of the subject.
In teaching
economics, methodology is a veritable tool for the conveyance of the principles
or theories of economics as well as materials to the students for the
achievement of the goals of that institution. According to Ali (2001), says
“methodology uses materials in an instructional setting to send the principles
(knowledge) which could be the cognitive, the affective and the psychomotor
aspect of the school’s curriculum.” Ugwu (2001), emphasized the essentiality
for a teacher to select most effective method amongst other for a given
purpose, if he must satisfy the learners need to know and his desire to
participate actively in the instructional process.
The interest and
attitudes of teachers and students over teaching and learning of economics in
secondary schools are of great effects. Onyeji (2000), of his view that the
teacher’s attitude discourages and scares away students from studying the
subject. This is so, if the students are not properly guided, they become
scared of the teachers and the subject resulting in lack of interest and the
student’s performance tend to be poor since effective teaching do not take
place.
Statement
of The Problem
Economics is
being taught in secondary schools in Oshimili North Local Government Area and
it has been observed that students performed poorly in the Senior Secondary
Certificate Examination which formed the problem of the study. In that, it has been
observed that there are lots of factors militating against the effective
teaching and learning of economics in secondary schools which include lack of
qualified teachers, lack of instructional materials, poor methodology of
teaching, attitudes and interest of teachers and students in teaching and
learning of economics, etc.
Purpose
of The Study
The general purpose of the study is
to identify the factors affecting the effective teaching and learning of
economics in secondary schools in Oshimili North Local Government Area.
The study is specifically designed
to:
1. Determine
the educational qualification of economics teachers in the secondary schools
and how it affects the study of economics.
2. Find
out the extent instructional materials available and how they affect the study
of economics?
3. Identify
the method economics teachers used in teaching economics in the secondary
schools
4. Identify
the extent interest and attitudes of students and teachers affect the teaching
and learning in the secondary schools
Significance
of The Study
This study will
help to make our educational administrators to see the need to have qualified
economics teachers if not available to handle the subject and effectively for
the benefits of the students and society at large.
It will also helps to sensitize the
educational administrators to appreciate the need to make available the
necessary materials, examples chalkboard, graph, audio-visual materials, etc
that will enhance effective learning of economics if they are not available.
This study will
if need be direct the economics teachers’ attention to the need for them to
adopt more appropriate teaching method in order to bring about the above
mentioned desirable experience in the learners. This study will have a great
significant to economists for formulation and evaluation of their plans.
It will be useful to learners to
identify the factors affecting the teaching and learning of economics. It will
help to identify the factors affecting the teaching and learning of economics.
It will help to produce sound economics students that will function well in the
economy.
This work will serve as a source of
encouragement to students and teachers that will come across it. It is hoped
that the findings of this study would also form the basis for further research
work by future researchers on this issues.
Scope
of The Study
The
study deals with the factors affecting the effective study ofeconomics in
secondary schools in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta state. It
geographically covers the five selected secondary schools in Oshimili North
Local Government Area of Delta state.
Research
Question
The following research questions
guided this research work:
1.
How do qualifications of the economics
teachers influence the teaching and learning of economics in the secondary
schools
2.
To what extent are instructional
materials available and how they affect the study of economics?
3.
To what extent does poor method of
teaching affect teaching and learning of economics in secondary schools?
4.
To what extent does an interest and
attitude of students, teachers and school administrators influence effective
teaching and learning of economics?
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