INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO OVERCOMING POLITICAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH TEACHING AND LEARNING OF SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN EBONYI STATE

Abstract

This study innovative approaches to overcoming political problems associated with teaching and learning of science in secondary schools in Ebonyi state has three research questions and three research hypotheses. The study is a survey research design which made use of twenty-five items questionnaire. The instrument was subjected to test, retest and face validation for it’s reliability and validation test respectively. Data collected from 1,516 (science teachers and students) randomly selected respondents were analyzed using weighed mean, standard deviation and t-test statistics. Result of the analyses showed that, poor funding science education, imprudent and careless management of science education fund, embezzlement of fund meant for science education and  supply or buying of inferior teaching and learning science. Other problems include, poor  maintance culture of science teaching and learning materials on the part of teachers and students, improper or inadequate supervision of science education teaching and learning materials and activities by the education administrators, partiality in science teacher recruitment, posting. On the hypotheses the study deduced that, there is no significant difference on the opinions of students and teachers on the political financial problems associated with the teaching and learning of science, also no significant difference on the opinions of students and teachers on the political administrative problems associated with the teaching and learning of science and lastly there is no significant difference on the opinions of students and teachers on the political financial and administrative problems associated with the teaching and learning of science in secondary school in Ebonyi state. The study recommended that, government should increase science education funding in the state among other recommendations. Proper and adequate supervision is needed in science education in order to overcome the issue of poor, imprudent and careless management of science education funding in the state.