CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1. BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has taken over the global economy. Most things if not all require ICT to be performed. The education sector is not left out of this as Information and Communication Technology(ICT) has improved the method of teaching and learning; it has made teaching and learning less difficult. Teaching and learning with the aid of ICT has grown beyond the four walls of a classroom to learning from the comfort of one’s apartment. This advancement in technology has equally bridged the digital divide between information rich and poor society. According to Tinio (2002) ICT has the potentials of increasing relevance and quality of education in developing countries and the field of education has been affected by ICT, which have indisputably affected teaching, learning, and research. Many scholars have proven through their works the much benefits of ICT to the quality of education (Yusuf, 2005).
physics literacy is the ability to use computers to perform a variety of tasks and is becoming fundamental to the learning process (Osuji, 2010).
physics literacy is being able to handle a wide range of varying physics applications for various purposes. Albirini (2004) considers physics literacy as educators’ belief about their computer knowledge and skills.
Due to the fact that state governments in Nigeria needed to fully implement the National Policy on physics Education in Nigeria’s policy, they introduced physics literacy education across secondary schools in Nigeria in 1997 (Bada, Ajibade & Ojedokun, 2009, and Adomi & Kpangban, 2010). The reasons for this are: to introduce the use of physics in teaching, to make the present generation appreciate the use of physics, to make both students and teachers appreciate the benefits of physics to the education sector, and to expose both students and teachers to an unlimited body of knowledge.
Similarly, in the Federal government of Nigeria’s bid to fully implement the use of physics across schools, the National Policy on Information Technology was introduced in 2001 in order to relate the message of physics literacy to secondary schools in the rural areas.
With such policies in place, steps have been taken to improve the use of ICT in both teaching and learning from the primary to the tertiary education.
However, the situation in primary and secondary schools across the country has not really improved; as we still witness cases of most schools without physics laboratories and those who try to have are without competent teachers to teach amidst other factors. physics education is really lacking across junior secondary schools, though some private schools are trying to provide few lab for learning.
A study that was carried out by Jegede and Owolabi (2003) when comparing the Nigeria National physics Policy of 1987 with what is currently obtainable across secondary schools in Nigeria revealed that physics education is more practiced in Federal unity schools and a few private schools. These schools are located in the urban areas which means that more schools in the urban areas practice physics education compared to schools in the rural areas. A study carried out by Osunwusi and Abifarin (2013) to determine the level of physics literacy revealed that private secondary schools have access to and use physics in teaching and learning compared to public schools. Bearing the current state of physics literacy in the urban areas, the need to study the level of physics literacy among junior secondary school in rural areas generate much questions like: Is physics literacy taught in rural areas? Is physics science taught in junior secondary schools? Are schools in the rural areas implementing the National Policy on Education in Nigeria policy? These questions call for much concern as this study is meant to examine the level of physics literacy among the junior secondary school students in Enugu North Local government area in Enugu state. Most especially now the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board introduced the use of Computer Based Test (CBT) for its examination. Of which one of the criteria for the exam is that one must be a computer literate; and being a physics literate requires a good foundation like physics being taught right from the primary school. A student who is taught science in primary and secondary school will not have problem in JAMB’s examination; that is why it is pertinent for this study to examine the level of physics literacy among the junior secondary school students and make recommendations where necessary to improve physics literacy across junior secondary schools in Enugu state.
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