PARENTAL INFLUENCE AND CULTURAL BELIEFS AS CORRELATES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL GIRLS ATTITUDE AND ACHIEVEMENT. A RESEARCH PROJECT TOPICS ON GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING
ABSTRACT
This study investigated the parental influence and cultural beliefs as correlate of secondary school attitude and achievement in chemistry The study employed a Correlational research method. An instrument titled: Parental Influence and Cultural Beliefs as Correlate of Secondary School Girls Attitude and Achievement in Chemistry (PICBCSSGATAC) was used to collect relevant data for the study. The ten secondary schools involved were selected based on stratified random sampling technique and the statistical package of social sciences (SPSS) using descriptive statistics were used to determine the rural community challenges as correlates of senior secondary school achievement and attitude towards chemistry. 100 sample sizes were used for the study. 3 research questions were designed and formulated for the purpose of the study. The study revealed that there is a significant relationship between parental socio economic status and academic achievement of girls in secondary school. It also revealed: Parental influence may not affects secondary school girls’ attitude towards chemistry, it also revealed that Cultural biases impede girls’ learning and pursuit of chemistry as well as other sciences, the study further revealed that science, particularly chemistry is seen as the domain of males and not for females; and girl’s choice to study science is seen as weakening her identity as a girl and as making her appear less feminine, it further revealed that girls do not see the relevance of studying chemistry as its impact on their life career pursuit and it finally revealed that girls tend to perceive science as difficult, uninteresting or unappealing in the future prospect it offers. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations and suggestions were made for students, parents, teachers and school administrators and relevant agencies for further research.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study
Chemistry is a scientific study of structures, substances, how they react and behave under different conditions. (Advanced Learners Dictionary 2006). Chemistry is one of the core science subjects in secondary school curriculum.
It is a subject with wide knowledge area. This position makes aspiring students to embrace it early but often, parental perceptions as being difficult to learn, projects negative attitude in the minds of their children who have interest in the subject. As a result, males are more favoured than females. Girl’s low participation in chemistry and sciences in general has been an issue of great concern to science educators and researchers alike (Onyene, 2004). Recognizing the role of science (chemistry) in contemporary society, with the potential to improve lives in a multitude of ways and advance national development the task of redressing the shortfall in human resources in the area of science (chemistry) and technology in order not to leave woman of the process is considered important and necessary. A country’s ability to create, apply and diffuse scientific and technological knowledge is now a major determinant of its socio-economic development and national competitive. This potential, however, cannot be fully realized without making the best use of the entire population of a nation-including girls and women. It is noted, however that most African countries lag behind in the generation of the human technological capacity on which further economic development is heavily dependent (Salome, 2013). Studies have shown that a student’s performance in science (chemistry) and mathematics is a strong indicator of later earnings (Ekine and Abey, 2014). This is the case even within the education system where teachers and lecturers in science (chemistry) are often paid more or have a competitive advantage over their colleagues in other fields. It is also in science (chemistry] and mathematics subjects that many of the cognitive and non-cognitive skills necessary for individual and national development, such as higher order thinking and problem solving, are expected to be learned. For science to largely remain the domain of men is a sure means to perpetuate existing inequalities on the basis of gender in society.
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