CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Chemistry is a very important subject for students who want to pursue science and technology related disciplines at the tertiary level. Chemistry is the foundation of all environmental professions. Science students must learn and pass it before they can advance to higher institutions (Kolawole and Ilugbusi, 2007). Many have been denied admission due to inability to meet the basic entry requirements. In a good learning environment where the best teaching methods for chemistry and instructional materials have been utilized, successful chemistry learning may not still be achieved if the students lack necessary characteristics that are associated with successful chemistry learning.

There are some observable school characteristics that may be common to both private and public schools. Some of them include: large class-size, inadequate teaching resources, physical appearance, small classroom space, location of school, co-curricular activities, shortage of teachers, frequent changes of teachers and teachers‟ attitude to work, sub-standard teachers and poor instructional strategies (ESSPIN, 2011). The extent to which these factors are present or absent in public and private schools determines the quality of instruction their students receive, characteristics of these students and hence their academic performance. This research work seeks to investigate students‟ characteristics (learning styles preferences) in the two school types and how these students‟ characteristics affect their academic performance. In the teaching-learning environment there have been questions as to why some students learn better than other students under the same conditions. Educators are concerned about using different teaching methods and instructional materials to improve achievement of their students. Students on the other hand, have a role to play in improving their performance after a given period of instruction. If the teacher does all that is in his power to do to ensure good performance and the students do not play their part; then success may not be achieved. Berg (2005), identified attitude, motivation and genuine interest as the most important student characteristics associated with successful learning. There would be no meaningful success if the students do not exhibit these characteristics in the learning environment. Yeung, Read and Schmid (2005), posit that several factors influence student learning. Examples of such factors include but are not limited to students learning style preferences, interest in the materials being studied and the learning environment. They went on to say that an individual’s learning style preference deals with the way the person responds to stimuli in the learning context and the characteristic way he acquires and uses information. Since students learn in different ways, there is need for the students‟ learning style preferences to align with the instructors teaching style for good performance. The most effective teacher is one who caters for a range of learning styles. There is obvious need to incorporate the students‟ learning style into the instructional and assessment procedures. This study sets out to investigate and compare the learning style preferences of students in public and private schools in Lagos Metropolis. The relationship between students‟ learning styles and their academic performance will also be reported. Learning style was defined by Dunn and Dunn (1992), as the way each learner begins to concentrate on, process and remember new and difficult information. When an individual’s multidimensional characteristics are examined the person’s learning style can be identified. An individual’s learning style is the way the person begins to process, internalize and concentrate on a new material (Gremli, 1996). Learning according to Sara 2010, can be defined as the summation of a person’s life experiences which have survival value for him and which is relatively permanent. Learning can equally be classified as conscious or unconscious. Conscious learning occurs when a person learns deliberately while the unconscious learning is when learning is without deliberate effort. Individuals exhibit different approaches to solving a problem. Some are systematic, others are haphazard. The approach of an immature person gradually transforms into a pattern of behaviour called learning style. (Sara 2010) made a distinction between style and strategy. Learning Style is the characteristic way a person thinks or approaches a problem while learning strategy is a particular approach used to solve a narrower range of problems. Learning style of a person is stable over the years but learning strategy varies with the situation under consideration.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Many people who learnt chemistry did so by lecture method. The teaching style used by 89% of science professors is lecture method (Timberlake, 2001). During lecture, students are not actively involved in the lesson; their attention span is short and their retention of the concepts taught is minimal. Don Paulson (1998), reported that the use of active-learning approach produced an average retention rate of 78% as opposed to 38% when he used lecture method. In a student-centred class, students are encouraged to participate actively rather than being passive. Students are involved in the class through a variety of hands-on-activities (Timberlake, 2001). She called these activities lecture PLUS; where P denotes participation; L stands for learning, U denotes understanding and S for success. These activities entail group homework projects, peer presentations, in-class collaborative learning, on-going assessments and mini-lectures using PowerPoint. Adesoji and Ibraheem (2009) were of the view that mathematical abilities of students were tied to their success in chemistry. They reiterated that the ability to manipulate symbols (geometry) and the ability to use and man oeuvre algebraic symbols to solve problems were necessary for success in chemistry. They went on to say that students with intellectual abilities had greater chance of success in chemistry than those without intellectual abilities. Many factors influence learning out-come of students. The teacher, student, learning environment and parents all have their parts to play in achievement of academic excellence. This study is interested in identifying and comparing the learning style preferences of chemistry students associated with successful learning in public and private schools and also the relationship of these characteristics to their achievement in chemistry.

1. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study is to investigate the comparative study of teaching chemistry in private and public secondary schools.

The specific objectives of the study are as follows:

1. To identify and compare learning style preferences of chemistry students in private and public secondary schools.
2. To examine factors influencing learning outcome of students learning of chemistry in private and public secondary schools.
3. To assess relationship between the learning style preferences of students in public schools and their performance in chemistry.
4. To ascertain gender difference in students learning style preferences between the two school types.

1. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Rising from the research objectives, the following research questions will be address in the study:

1. What are the comparative learning style preferences of chemistry students in private and public secondary schools?
2. What are the factors influencing learning outcome of students learning of chemistry in private and public secondary schools?
3. What is the relationship between the learning style preferences of students in public schools and their performance in chemistry?
4. What is the gender difference in students learning style preferences between the two school types?

1. STATEMENT OF RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

H0 there is no significant relationship between study of teaching chemistry in private and public secondary schools.

H1 there is significant relationship between study of teaching chemistry in private and public secondary schools.

1. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is of great importance because it will investigate the comparative learning style preference of chemistry students in private and public secondary schools. Ultimately, this research work is undertaken to ascertain and compare which student characteristics (learning style preferences) will enhance successful learning of chemistry in the different school types and at the end it will be determine which school type performs well in chemistry.

1. SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study is limited to only senior secondary school students offering chemistry in public and private schools in Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

1. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

1. TIME CONSTRAINTS: One the challenges experienced by the researcher is the issue of time; the research will simultaneously engage in departmental activities like seminars and attendance to lectures. But the researcher was able to meet up with the deadline for the submission of the project.
2. FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS: Every research work needs funding; however lack of adequate funds might affect the speed of the researcher in getting materials for completion of the project.

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Learning Style

 “The ways in which an individual characteristically acquires, retains, and retrieves information are collectively termed the individual’s learning style” (Felder and Henriques, 1995). Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire: “An instrument used to assess learners learning style preferences based upon Felder-Silverman Learning Style Model” (Felder, 1996).

Listening

 Listening is an active process of constructing a message from a stream of sound with what one knows of the phonological, semantic, and syntactic potentialities of the language” (Rivers and Temperley, 1978). Reading: “Reading comprehension process is the reader’s ability to obtain information for some purpose and to find out some information to check or clarify” (Doff, 1988).

Grammar

 It is the way in which words change themselves and group together to make a sentence. The grammar of a language is what happens to words when they become plural or negative, or what word is used when we make questions, or join two clauses to make one sentence” (McDonough and Shaw, 1993).

 Writing

 Writing implies knowledge of the conventions of the written code; to be effective, it needs the precision and nuances which derive from a thorough understanding of the syntactic and lexical choice the language offers; to be 8 interesting, it requires the ability to vary structures and patterns for rhetorical effect” (Rivers and Temperley, 1978).