CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
INTRODUCTION
The words “science” is often misconstrued by many people. While some view it as a white man’s “juju”, others construe it as a kind of magic, like the tero blind men who went to see the elephant, many people who attempt to define science make valid but fragmentary definition of it. Little do people realize that many of man’s daily activities involve doing science? For example, when you wake up in the morning and take a glass of water and not kerosene you are doing science. When your mother strikes a stick of match, light a candle and watches it melts, she is doing science. When the baker adds yeast to floor to make it rise, he too is doing science. The barber in your village also does science when he applies soap solution to his customer’s hair to make it so, for he is applying the knowledge of science. Thus, science is not magical as some people think. Science is all around us. Ofuebe (2007), defined science as a dynamic human activity concerned with understanding of the working of our world. Ali (2002) believes that the word science stands for a variety of information, abilities and operations about the natural environment. He believes that science is more concerned with various investigative processes and activities with regards to developing acquiring and controlling knowledge, skills, and capabilities attitudes about the natural factors of the environment. From these processes reliable and verifiable information are accumulated for use in science and other disciplines.
According to Aniodoh (1991) viewed science as “a body of knowledge arrived at through systematic and procedural processes based on tentative observations and experiment”. In the sight of the above, science may be viewed as a way of thinking in the pursuit of understanding nature, a way of investigating and a body of established knowledge. Thus, science is a product as a well as a process. Ambuno, Egunifomi, Osakwe (2008) noted that, with science, the world today wouldn’t have been what it is. Technological advancement has completely changed the world. This has permeated into all spheres of our lives which include communications, health, agriculture, building etc. Exploration of the universe and improvement in conditions of living in our homes, schools, roads etc are all based on science in terms of modern equipment and materials. In fact, with the world changing very fast as a result of human activities and population growth, what may save our planet earth is scientific inquiring for solutions to prevailing problems and those we may face in the future. Some biological research has been carried out by scientists leading to many discoveries in medicine, technology, agriculture and genetics.
For further information on the positive impacts of science, Aniodoh (2001) supported the above view which he said that through science and the help of technological know-how, man is able to construct shelter of various kind as dwelling, markets, schools, hospitals etc. Biology as one of the science subject is defined as the study of life and structure of living things. Biology is the study of living things and concerns itself with the study of the structure, behaviour, distribution, the origin of plants and animals and their relationship with their environments. Abugu (2007) stated that biology is a natural science in which we study living organisms – plants and animals.
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