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ABSTRACT
This study is intended to assess the determinant factors responsible for persistent mass failure of students in integrated science in junior secondary schools using Egor Local Government Area as a case study in the junior secondary school certificate examination (JSSCE). Data available indicates that performance of students in integrated science in Egor Local Government Area has continued to be poor over the years. The poor performance both at the state and National level in integrated science persists from the pre to post intervention measures administered by the Government of Nigeria through the Ministry of Education in collaboration with many other education stakeholders. Performance of students of Egor Local Government Area in integrated science has always been below the national average.
A sample of 482 J.S.S.3 students from 3 public secondary schools were randomly selected using both simple and stratified random sampling to participate in a descriptive interactive survey study. The students and their integrated science teachers were provided with questionnaires while integrated science teachers, their principals were orally interviewed.
Data obtained from the study as well as physical observation of the nature of the teaching and learning resources and the conduct of both the practical and theory integrated science lessons were analysed. Results obtained were presented using both descriptive statistics such as mean, percentages and frequencies as well as inferential statistics. Results showed that students' background characteristics, attitude factors particularly integrated science teacher's negative perception of their learners' abilities, inadequate use of resource on the teaching and learning process and negative socio-cultural factors as well as inappropriate learning environment were the main causes of mass failure of students in integrated science in junior secondary schools. It is recommended that the Ministry of Education through its various agents should, among other things, enhance supervision of curriculum implementation in schools, increase the amount allocated for tuition and release the funds in good time to enable prompt acquisition of learning materials. School management, in conjunction with other stakeholders, should enhance teacher motivation and provide more and better teaching and learning facilities to enable a more conducive environment for learning. Finally, integrated science teachers must enhance their teaching approaches by adopting a more practical approach to the teaching and learning practices that would motivate the students to perform better in the subject.
