Effects of Fieldwork on Achievement and Attitudes of Secondary School Students in Environmental Education in Kogi State.
ABSTRACT
This research investigated the effects of fieldwork on the achievements and attitudes of secondary school students in environmental education in Kogi State.
Fieldwork is a supervised learning that takes place outside the classroom. The study was hinged on the theory of learning by insight propounded by Kohler which emphasizes learner’s centeredness and activity based learning atmosphere.
The study considered interactions of gender and location on the achievements and attitudes of secondary school students exposed to fieldwork in Environmental Education (EE). The study was guided by seven research questions and six hypotheses.
The pretest posttest non- equivalent group design was used in the study. A sample of 225 senior secondary school (SS II) students who were offering geography was drawn through stratified random sampling.
Two instruments: Geography Achievement Test (GAT) and Geography Attitude Measurement Scale (GAMS) were designed to collect data from students.
The instruments were face validated by three experts from Science Education Department, University of Nigeria, Nsukka and three senior secondary school geography teachers. The estimate of internal consistency of GAT was .96 using Kuder- Richardson formular 20 while that of GAMS was .83 using Cronbach’s Alpha.
The seven research questions were answered using means and standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested using analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed that fieldwork has significant effects on the achievements and attitudes of secondary school students.
It was also discovered that there was no interaction effect between gender and location on achievement of students in EE but there is interaction effect between gender and location on attitude of secondary school students in EE due to fieldwork. It was recommended that school managements should ensure that students must undertake fieldwork at least once every term.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Certification ii
Approval page iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgement v
Table of contents vi
List of tables x
Abstract xi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the study 1
Statement of the problem 8
Purpose of the study 10
Significance of the study 11
Scope of the study 12
Research Questions 13
Hypotheses 13
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Conceptual Framework 16
Environment 16
Environmental Education 17
Achievement 22
Attitude 24
Teaching Methods 26
Theoretical Framework 35
Observational Learning Theory 35
Cognitive Theories of Learning 36
Review of Empirical studies 38
Environmental Education: Improving Student Achievement 40
Effects of Fieldwork on Retention levels among students 40
An Empirical Analysis of the Gender gap in Mathematics 41
Summary of Literature 42
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD
Design of the study 44
Area of the study 45
Population of the study 45
Sample and sampling Technique 45
Instrument for data collection 46
Validation of instrument 47
Reliability of instrument 47
Method of data collection 48
Method of data analysis 49
Control of extraneous variables 50
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS
Research question 1 51
Research question 2 52
Research question 3 52
Research question 4 53
Research question 5 54
Research question 6 55
Research question 7 56
Hypothesis 1 58
Hypothesis 2 59
Hypothesis 3 60
Hypothesis 4 60
Hypothesis 5 60
Hypothesis 6 60
Hypothesis 7 61
Summary of Results 61
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION, EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUMMARY
Discussion of findings 63
Conclusion 68
Educational implications of the findings 69
Recommendations 70
Limitations of the study 71
Suggestions for further study 72
Summary of the study 72
References 74
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Environmental Education is a new discipline in Nigeria. It is a multidisciplinary subject. This implies that Environmental Education (EE) can be infused into any field of study. It is in the light of this that Ezeudu (2003) noted that “There is no school subject that is totally withdrawn from the environment”.
When the environment is seen from the point of view of physical, social, cultural and psychological dimensions, the entire subjects are roped in. Since no school subject is taught in a vacuum but in a space within the environment, it therefore means that the possibility of infusing it into all disciplines such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, history, literature –in –English, Geography,
Biology, is very high. This new discipline draws content from many courses of study. Phil-Eze and Ofomata (2007) state that the study of environment attracts scholars from a wide range of specialization.
Environmental education will be better understood if the two words that make the concept are explained separately. These words are ‘Environment’ and ‘Education’. Environment simply means all that are found in one’s surroundings, both tangible and intangible, (Ezeudu, 2003).
Leon (MCMXX, MCMLXXV), views environment as a general term for all the external conditions, influences, and forces that affect and modify the life and development of organism. Environment therefore is the sum total of the surroundings of man whether physical or biological.
Education on the other hand is the inculcation of certain knowledge, attitudes, values skills and experiences to a person with the intention of bringing a desired change of behavior, (Ezeudu 2003).
It is a way of exposing an individual to an idea that is completely alienated from him but that will mold ones character and make an individual fit into the society.
Environmental education therefore is a process of creating environmental consciousness in man. It is a way of creating awareness of his impact on nature.
Environmental Education is an educational concept which considers the environment as scientific and aesthetic resources to be used in a lifelong educational process, thus making man knowledgeable and aware of the environment and its problems as well as their roles in environmental conservation, preservation and management (UNESCO 1985).
REFERENCES
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Ajadike, J.C (2007). Urban solid Wastes: Problems and management in Nigeria. Ofomata G.E.K & Phil-E., (Ed.) Geographical perspectives on Environmental problems and management in Nigeria. Enugu: Jamoe Publishers.
Albert, B. (1965). Downloaded 5th June, 2011. Preventing violence by Teaching non- violent problem-solving. http://www.apa.org/research/action/nonviolence..
Answers.com (2011). Downloaded on10/7/2011. htt://wikianswers.com.
Archive (2005). Downloaded on 30/11/11. Environmental Education and Awareness http://envfor.nic.in/division/ee/ee.html.
Bartosh .O (2003). Environmental Education: improving students achievement. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree master of Environmental studies. The Evergreen state studies. WAshington
Daluba, N.E (2004). Acquisition of the Knowledge of Environmental Education and its Effects on Agriculture for sustainable development. In Akpata, J. A.Y (Ed.).Ankpa Journal of Arts and social sciences.Kogi State college of Education.Lokoja: Jofoniyi printers.
Ezeudu, S. A (2003). Environmental Education for sustainable Development. A Nigerian perspective.Nsukka: University of Nigeria press.
Fieldwork methodology (2011) downloaded on 10/9/2011. htt://geogfieldwork.com/fieldwork%20 methodology.html..
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