THE EFFECT OF INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY IN INCORPORATING LOCAL PRACTICES ON SECONDARY
SCHOOL STUDENTS’ INTEREST AND ACHIEVEMENT IN CHEMISTRY
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of Study
Chemistry is the branch of science that deals with the study of the structure and composition of matter. Chemistry has oen
being described as the central science, being that effective study of chemistry lays a solid foundation for the scientific and technological development of an early learner in the sciences. Oriaifo (2002) while stressing the importance of chemistry education noted that chemistry equips the learner with specific knowledge skills and attitude which enables him/her become useful to him/her and the society at large.In Nigeria, chemistry as a subject occupies a prominent position in the nation’s secondary and tertiary curriculum. At the secondary level of education, a credit pass in chemistry is a pre-requisite for students to further their studies in fields like Medicine, Pharmacy, Agriculture, Engineering, Home Economics, Biological Science and other science related fields of endeavour. Chemistry do not just start and end in the classroom or school as oen perceived, phenomenon in chemistry are practiced in our day to day lives in and outside the school. Some of the home chemistry practices are the process of heating (cooking/warming) of our food, the process of washing our cloths with soap or detergents, addition of limestone when cooking (eg beans, unripe plantain etc), the process of boiling grinded fresh tomato to allow the liquid to get dried, addition of salt to perishable food stus in other to preserve them, boiling and filtering of impure water to make it clean for drinking, the process of putting stainless steel spoon into meat while boiling, the process of separation of kerosene or petrol from water, the process of preparation of pap from grounded maize (corn), the process of spraying insecticides in the house to kill insects, the act of melting ice block into liquid water for the purpose of drinking, preparation of our African delicacy fufu through cassava, the burning of materials in the presence of air (oxygen), the process of rusting of clean nail when it has been exposed to air and water (chemical change) etc. this is just to mention but a few.
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