Comparative Analysis of Students’ Interest in Basic Science Curriculum in Nasarawa State-Nigeria

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to make a comparative analysis of student’s interest on Basic science and Technology curriculum in Nasarawa state. The study has a sampled population of 2,105 students in Nasarawa state of Nigeria made up of 1,277 lower middle Basic Science, (primary 1-6) and 828 junior secondary school students. The researcher decided to employ survey design and use chi-square statistics to analyse the data. It was observed in general that, the students were not satisfied with what was being taught in school, as the school programme failed to address issues of interests to them while in school. When asked what they wanted to learn at school, majority of these students in both the primary schools and junior secondary schools mentioned many activities that are not taught at school by the teachers-which have a direct link with their natural instinct and or inclination, based on the feeling of liking or disliking a given subject area. The most important issues of concern is the vocation on the students career option and the difficulties they faced at the time of decision as they are confronted at the end of their primary school and junior secondary school. Since schooling, is the determinant of the student’s career and future life and coupled with the dissatisfaction with the school programme generally detected in this study, it becomes necessary for completely new basic science curriculum content to be considered for the best interest of our students in Nasarawa state.

Keywords: Science curriculum development, Natural instinct, Dissatisfaction with school programme, Contemporary school system, Science education.