Open AccessChemistry Students’ Science Process Skills Acquisition: Influence of Gender and Class size
Author(s) -
Gladys U. Jack
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
global research in higher education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2576-196X
pISSN - 2576-1951
DOI - 10.22158/grhe.v1n1p80
Subject(s) - mathematics education , class (philosophy) , certificate , process (computing) , science education , dreyfus model of skill acquisition , psychology , test (biology) , medical education , computer science , medicine , biology , political science , paleontology , algorithm , artificial intelligence , law , operating system
Science process skills are central to the acquisition of scientific knowledge which is useful in problem solving in our immediate environment. In Nigeria, most secondary school students’ performances in chemistry in the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) are generally low which could probably be attributed to lack or poor exposure to science process skills. The study therefore investigated the influence of gender, and class size on Chemistry students’ acquisition of science process skills. The design adopted for the study was descriptive survey design. The sample comprised of 720 students drawn through multi-stage random sampling from Adamawa and Taraba States in Nigeria. The research instrument was Science Process Skills Knowledge Test in Chemistry’ (SPSKTC). The study indicated that gender have negligible influence on students’ acquisition of science process skills; while large class size have great influence on students’ acquisition of science process skills. The study concluded that most students in Nigerian schools experience difficulty in the acquisition of science process skills. Based on the findings, it was recommended that there should be reduction of student-teacher ratio in schools and training of teachers on science process skills to enable teachers adopt methods that lead students to have the appropriate skills.