Influence of School Characteristics on the Achievement of SecondarySchool Chemistry Students in the Cognitive Science process Skill ofEvaluation in Kenya

Yıl 2013, Cilt: 2 Sayı: 4, 171 - 183, 15.10.2013

Zephania O. Anditi Mark İ.o. Okere Daniel R. Muchiri

https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.2.4.171

https://izlik.org/JA56FG59UR

Öz

Chemistry is one of the subjects that students sit for in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). The attainment of students in chemistry in KCSE has been quite low. An analysis of the past Chemistry examination papers taken in KCSE reveals that the papers test students’ competencies in various aspects of Cognitive Science Process Skill of Evaluation (CSPSE). It was hypthesised that school characteristics could be influencing students’ acquisition of various aspects of CSPSE. The school characteristics investigated were social set up (single – sex and co- educational schools) and school location (rural and urban schools). The aspects of CSPSE investigated were: reformulation of scientific statements, evaluation of experimental procedures, evaluation of inferences from scientific data, and evaluation of scientific arguments. Cross- sectional survey research design was used in this study. Cognitive Science Process Skills Test (CSPST) was constructed and administered to a stratified random sample of 386 Form Three Chemistry students drawn from Public County Secondary Schools in Rift Valley Province of Kenya. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data. Hypotheses were tested at α= 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study show that students from single-sex secondary schools performed significantly better than their counterparts from co-educational schools in all the categories of CSPSE that were investigated. The school location did not have a significant influence on students’ performance on CSPSE. The findings of this study are expected to inform the education planners and teachers of the influence of school characteristics on students’ performance on CSPSE.

Anahtar Kelimeler

influence , school characteristics , cognitive science process skill , evaluation , achievement

Kaynakça

• Agbodeka, F. (2002). The West African Examinations Council (1952 – 2002). Half A Century of Commitment to Excellence and Regional Co-operation. Accra, Ghana: Woeli Publishing Services.
• Assessment of Performance Unit (1982a). Science in Schools. Age 13: Report No. 1. London: HMSO
• Assessment of Performance Unit (1982b). Science in Schools. Age 13: Report No. 1. London: HMSO
• Babendreier, J. (2004, March 7). Single-Sex Schools are good for teens. Sunday Nation (Lifestyle , p.3). Nairobi, Kenya: Nation Media Group Ltd.
• Brownell, M., Roos, N. & Fransoo, R. (2006).Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. Is the class half empty? Choices Vol.12, pp 3-30.
• Carin, A.A. & Sund, R. B.(1980). Teaching Modern Science (2nd Edn.) Ohio: Bell & Howell Co.
• Casanova, F. P., Garcia – Linares, M. C., Torre, M. J., and Carpio, M. V. (2005). Influence of family and socio-demographic variables on students’ with low academic achievement. Educational Psychology. Vol.25, No.4, pp 423-435.
• Central Bureau of Statistics (2004). Statistical Abstract. Nairobi, Kenya: Government Printer.
• Fensham, P. J. (1984). Current research in chemical education. In D. J. Waddington (Ed.). Teaching Chemistry. Paris, France: UNESCO.
• Gott, R. & Duggan, S(1996). Practical Work: Its role in the understanding evidence in science. International Journal of Science Education 18(7), 781 – 805.
• Johnstone, A. H. & Letton, K.M (1990, December). Why do practical work? A researcher’s point of view. International Newsletter on Chemical Education No. 34, pp. 14 – 18.
• Kelly, A. (1981). Girls and Science Education: Is there a problem? In A. Kelly (Ed.), The Missing Half: Girls and Science Education. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
• Kempa, R. (1986). Assessment in Science (pp 53-56). London: Cambridge Science Education Series, Cambridge University Press.
• Kenya Institut of Education (2002). Secondary Education Syllabus Volume Seven
• (pp 25-41). Nairobi, Kenya: Kenya Literature Bureau.
• Kenya National Examinations Council (2007). The year 2006 KCSE Examination Report Nairobi, Kenya: Kenya National Examinations Council.
• Kenya National Examinations Council (2008). The year 2007 KCSE Examination Report Nairobi, Kenya: Kenya National Examinations Council.
• Kenya National Examinations Council (2009). The year 2008 KCSE Examination Report Nairobi, Kenya: Kenya National Examinations Council.
• Kenya National Examinations Council (2010). The year 2009 KCSE Examination Report Nairobi, Kenya: Kenya National Examinations Council.
• Kenya National Examinations Council (2011). The year 2010 KCSE Examination Report Nairobi, Kenya: Kenya National Examinations Council.
• Kenya National Examination Council (2012). The year 2011 KCSE Examination Report Nairobi, Kenya: Kenya National Examinations Council.
• Kothari, C.R. (2004). Research Methodology (2nd edn.). New Delhi: New Age International (P) Ltd.
• Ngesa, F. U. (2002). Impact of Experiential and Mastery Learning Programmes on Academic Achievement in Secondary School Agriculture. PhD Thesis, Egerton University, Njoro, Kenya.
• Ormerod, M. B. (1981). The effects of single-sex and co-education on science subject preferences and choices at 14+. The School Science Review, 62, No.220, 553-555.
• Twoli, N. W. (2006). Teaching Secondary School Chemistry. Nairobi, Kenya: Nehema Publishers.
• Usman, K. O. & Memeh,I. M. (2007. Using Guided Scoreing Teaching Strategy to Improve Students’ Achievement in Chemistry at Secondary School Level in Nigeria. Journal of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria, 42 (1&2), 60 – 65.
• Wachanga, S. W. (2005). Chemistry Education: An Introduction to Chemistry Teaching Methods. Njoro, Kenya: Egerton University Press.
• Wallen, N.E. & Fraenkel, J.R. (2002). Educational Research: A guide to the process. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
• Watson, H. (1987). Learning to Teach: Practical Activities for Teachers in Training (2nd Edn). (pp 91-93). Nairobi, Kenya: Evans Brothers (Kenya) Ltd.
• Whyte, R. T. (1996). The link between laboratory work and learning. International Journal of Science Education 18(7), 761 – 773.
• Wierma, W. (1995). Research Methods in Education. An Introduction (6th ed.). Massachusetts, MA: Needham Heights.
• Wray, J., Freeman, J., Campbell, L., Clarke, G., & Driver, R. (1987). Science Process: Part 1. (pp 1.1 – 1.15). London: Inner London Education Authority.