PROBLEMS OF TEACHING CHEMISTRY IN NIGERIA SECONDARY SCHOOLS (A CASE STUDY OF EGOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA IN BENIN)

PROBLEMS OF TEACHING CHEMISTRY IN NIGERIA SECONDARY SCHOOLS (A CASE STUDY OF EGOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA IN BENIN)

Background Of The Study

The attitude towards Chemistry in secondary schools in Nigeria is poor as a result of the perception that the subject is difficult to master. Despite the benefits of learning Chemistry, the majority of students choose to study other courses instead (Okoh, 2002). Students' motivation in learning Chemistry is heavily influenced by their attitude about the chemistry. As a result, Cupdag (1989) argued that the attitude of students indicates their degree of learning about a certain subject, therefore making them more eager to study than those with a negative attitude toward it. In this context, Cheng (2004) observed in a study done on students learning Chemistry that, consistent with their belief that Chemistry is difficult to learn, students exhibit a negative attitude towards learning it. This has a detrimental effect on the teaching of the subject, since the unfavorable perception of students becomes an obstacle to instruction.

In addition, Edward (2006) asserts that research in a similar area, which was aimed at assessing students' beliefs and perceptions about the nature of Chemistry learning and evaluating teaching practices that would help students develop more expert-like beliefs and a positive attitude, found that despite the benefits the student would derive from learning Chemistry, their perception of Chemistry as a difficult subject cannot be easily altered, thereby affecting their performance. However, according to Torres (1997), the focus on scientific education has shifted from teaching science as a body of known knowledge to teaching science as a human activity. In lieu of training students to think independently and critically, science education has, to a significant part, trained students to accept scientific knowledge without inquiry, study current ideas, and give alternate interpretations. As a result, Chemistry as a dynamic branch of science is difficult to describe; therefore, Chemistry should not be taught as a series of formulas to be memorized and applied for "cultural" purposes, but rather as a dynamic branch of science that provides questions and explanations about how the world works (Jense, 1995). In light of this, the researchers see the topic of this study, "issues of teaching chemistry at the secondary school level," as an issue worthy of consideration. 

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

Numerous studies demonstrate that students do poorly in Chemistry. This may be linked to the misconception that Chemistry is difficult to learn, causing students to acquire a negative attitude towards the subject. Chemistry is taught by instructors as a sequence of formulae to be remembered and used for the purpose of learning, as opposed to educating students to think critically and independently, as opposed to accepting such knowledge without challenge. This problem has become a major worry for Nigeria's education planners and policymakers. As such, the topic of this study is deemed an empirical issue deserving of examination. 

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