Teachers Utility of Outdoor Science and Technology

ABSTRACT The study assessed the level of teachers’ utilisation of outdoor science educational activities in teaching basic science and technology in Ebonyi state. The study was guided by six (6) research questions and five (5) hypotheses. The population of the study comprised all the ten thousand, five hundred and twenty six (10 526) basic science and technology teachers in Ebonyi state from which a sample of one thousand fifty six (1 056) was drawn. Six (6) researcher developed basic science and technology teachers’ utilisation of outdoor science educational activities questionnaires for the six (6) classes in the primary schools were used to sought information on how often teachers utilise outdoor science educational activities with respect to their qualification, years of teaching experience, gender, school location and basic education level. Mean and standard deviation were used in answering the research questions while ttest of significance was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance was used to test the hypotheses ay 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that teachers generally less often utilise outdoor science educational activities in teaching basic science and technology, though, those in primary 1 and 2 often do. Teachers’ qualifications and gender were found not to influence the utilisation of outdoor science educational activities in teaching basic science and technology while their years of teaching experience, school location and basic education level were found to influence the utilisation of these activities. Based on the findings, some recommendations were made which include; regular organisation of conferences, seminar and workshops for in-service teachers on the use of outdoor activities, financial provision for outdoor activities by ministries of education and boards of education, restructuring of teachers training curriculum to acquaint the student-teachers with skills of using outdoor activities in teaching, development of outdoor science educational handbook to serve as guide on the use of outdoor activities in teaching etc.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE i

CERTIFICATION ii

APPROVAL PAGE iii

DEDICATION iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT v

TABLE OF CONTENTS vi

ABSTRACT ix

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 12

Purpose of the Study 13

Significance of the Study 14

Scope of the Study 16

Research Questions 16

Hypotheses 17

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Conceptual Framework 19

viii

Basic Science and Technology 20

Methods of Teaching Basic Science and Technology 22

Outdoor Education 26

The Teacher 30

 Theoretical Framework 39

Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory 39

The Cognitive Theory of Jean Piaget (Piaget’ Constructivism) 41

Lev Vygotsky Social Constructivism 42

Review of Related Empirical Studies 44

Empirical Studies on Outdoor Education 44

Empirical Study on Basic Science and Technology and Other Related Science Subjects 47

Summary of Review of Literature 48

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD 50

Design of the Study 50

Area of the Study 50

Population of the Study 51

Sample and Sampling Technique 51

Instrument for Data Collection 52

Validation of the Instrument 53

ix

Reliability of the Instrument 53

Method of Data Collection 54

Method of Data Analysis 54

Decision rule 54

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS 55

Summary of Findings 66

CHAPTER FIVE 68

Discussion of the Findings 68

Conclusion of Findings 77

Educational Implication of Findings 78

Recommendations 78

Limitations of the Study 79

Suggestions for Further Research 80

Summary of the Study 80

REFERENCE 84

Appendix A 91

Appendix B 93

Appendix C 102