ASSESSMENT OF PRODUCTIVE SKILL COMPETENCY LEVELS BASED ON GENDER AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL CHEMISTRY STUDENTS FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP

ABSTRACT.

The study was an assessment of productive skill competency levels of secondary school chemistry students for entrepreneurship. Ten research questions and ten null hypotheses guided the study. A descriptive survey design was employed for the study. From the population of 6121 chemistry students, 1132 was sampled by balloting and used in the study. The study was carried out in all the secondary schools in the six education zones in Anambra state. Instrument for data collection was Test of Acquisition of science process skills TASPS. Mean scores were used in answering the ten research questions, while the ten hypotheses were tested using ttest. From the analysis, the researcher found that: SS3 chemistry students possessed science process skills. There was no significant difference between the level of competence of the male and female SS3 chemistry students. The study has shown that at the end of three years of senior secondary school, the chemistry students possessed science process skills which if properly channeled will enhance their entrepreneurial abilities. Based on the findings and discussions, some recommendations were made: the State Ministry of Education should encourage exhibition of students products from time to time as this will encourage both teachers and students to improve their productive skills. The examination bodies WAEC and NECO should encourage the productive skills of the students by emphasizing on questions that will require them to produce articles like soap, cream, salt, charging of battery etc so as to give those avenues to apply the Science Process Skills SPS learnt in other practical aspects. Limitations of the study were stated and suggestions for further study proffered.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENTS Pages

TITLE PAGE I

APPROVAL PAGE II

DEDICATION III

CERTIFICATION IV

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS V

TABLE OF CONTENTS VII

LIST OF TABLES X

LIST OF APPENDICES XII

ABSTRACT XIII

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1

Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 9

Purpose of the Study 10

Significance of the Study 11

Scope of the Study 14

Research Questions 14

Hypotheses 15

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 16

Conceptual Framework

Concept of Skill Acquisition 17

Concept of Entrepreneurship 19

Concept of Productivity 21

Concept of competence 22

Concept of Assessment 23

Theoretical Framework 25

Theory of Skill Acquisition 25

Theory of Entrepreneurship 27

Theoretical Studies 29

Secondary school chemistry and entrepreneurship. 29

Science process skill acquisition and entrepreneurship. 35

Entrepreneurship Oriented Curriculum for the Nations Schools. 39

Assessment of students productive skill in chemistry. 40

Environment and Entrepreneurial cognition. 42

Contributions of Entrepreneurship to Economies 43

Chemistry teaching and skill acquisition. 48

Empirical Studies 52

Gender influence on science process skill acquisition 52

Environment and entrepreneurial cognition 54

Summary of Reviewed Literature 55

CHAPTER THREE: METHOD 57

Research Design 57

Area of Study 58

Population of the Study 58

Sample and Sample Techniques 58

Instrument for Data Collection 59

Procedure for the Development and Writing of the Text Items 60

Validation of the Test Instrument 63

Gender Test Bias 64

Pilot test 65

Administration of the Pilot test 65

Reliability of the Instrument 66

Item Discrimination Index 67

Index of Difficulty 68

Method of Data Collection 69

Method of Data Analysis 69

CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA 70

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF RESULTS CONCLUSION AND

RECOMMENDATIONS. 86

Discussion of Finding 86

Productive skills possession of SS3 chemistry students 86

Gender Influence on science process skill competence

Among SS 3 Chemistry Students 88

Conclusion 89

Educational Implication of the Study 89

Recommendation 90

Suggestion for Further Study 91

Limitation of the Study 91

References 92

LIST OF TABLES

TABLES PAGES

1: Sample distribution . 59

2: Objectives upon which test items were based. 61

3: TASPS item specification table. 62

4: List of science process skills measured with corresponding

Objective and number of items selected. 63

5: Pilot Test Schools. 65

6: Test Characteristics of Instruments. 66

7: Reliability of subTASPS 67

8: Level of Productive Skills Competence of Students 70

9: Level of Observation skill competence of students. 71

10: Level of Communication Skills competence of students 71

11: Level of Inferring Skill competence of students. 72

12: Level of Measuring Skill competence of students 72

13: Level of Experimental Skill competence of students. 73

14: Level of Manipulative skill competence of students. 73

15: Level of formulating hypotheses Skill competence of students.74

16: Level of Interpretation Skill competence of students . 74

17: Level of Identifying and Controlling Variable Skill. 75

18: Comparison of the Productive Skill Competence of SS3 Chemistry Students 76

19: Comparison of the Observing Skill Competence of SS3 Chemistry Students. 77

20: Comparison of the Communicating Skill Competence of SS3 Chemistry Students. 78

21: Comparison of the Inferring Skill Competence of SS3 Chemistry Students. 79

22: Comparison of the Measuring Skill Competence of SS3 Chemistry Students. 80

23: Comparison of Experimental Skill Competence of SS3 Chemistry Students. 81

24 : Comparison of the Manipulating Skills Competence of SS3 Chemistry Students. 82

25: Comparison of the Formulating Hypothesis Skills of SS3 Chemistry Students. 83

26: Comparison of the Interpreting of Data Skill of SS3 Chemistry Students. 84

27: Comparison of the Identifying and Controlling Variable Skills of SS3 Chemistry Students 85

LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix i State Secondary Schools in Anambra State according to Zones 113

Appendix ii Chart of Zonal Student/Teacher Population 123

Appendix iii Sample Distribution of Schools 124

Appendix iv Population of Chemistry Students and Teachers in the State 2011/2012Session 125

Appendix v Senatorial Districts in Anambra state 126

Appendix vi Test of Acquisition of Science Process Skill 127

Appendix vii Answer to TASPS 152

Appendix viii Letter to Principals of schools 153