Environmental Variables and Implementation of Physical and Health Education Curriculum in Secondary Schools
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine “environmental variables and implementation of physical and health education curriculum in secondary schools in Essien Udim Local Government Area”. Two research hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The population for the study comprised all public secondary schools in Essien Udim Local Government Area. Two hundred and fifty (250) students were chosen to form a sample size. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select five secondary schools out of 14 secondary schools. A questionnaire was the major instrument for the study. A survey design was used for the study. Chi-square statistical method was used to calculate the opinion of the students. It, therefore, indicate that environmental variables really influence the implementation of physical and health education curriculum in secondary schools. Finally, it was recommended that adequate facilities and equipment should be provided for the teaching of physical and health education in secondary schools.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
It is obvious facts that our generation has witnessed unprecedented economic growth and technological progress bringing enormous benefits to many, and environmental factors. The various technological innovations witnessed are as a result of the learning experience undergone by students under the influence of a teacher. Curriculum refers to a systematic, well-planned course of study in which the school engages in the education of the child (Ekpo, 2001). A curriculum is a programme of learning, planning for a target group of learners for a specific period of time in order to achieve certain predetermined educational goals (Dada, 1997).
Inyang-Abia and Umoren (2000) defined curriculum as an operational plan detailing what content, ideas, skills, and values are transferable to learners, their means of acquisition and the utility of such idea, skills, attitude and values. A curriculum cannot be effective until it is implemented.
According to Ekpo(1990) curriculum implementation involves the selection of what to teach and a decision on when and how to teach. One may also wish to add who to teach what. Curriculum implementations constitute that aspect of the educative process, which takes place in institutions of learning. It is to actual utilization of the prescriptions of developed curriculum (which may include: identified contents, topics, methods, instructional strategies, instructional materials and evaluation) by teachers at the different levels of education for the purpose of instructing or teaching the pupils/students. Curriculum implementation is a highly professional function or activity which readily puts to test the professional and academic competency of the teachers. Environmental variables are all situations, functions, events, people, technology, culture, climate and other contingencies that surround an individual and influence him either positively or negatively (Ubom, 2003). Physical education is a process by which changes take place in individual as a result of his movement; it is also described as physical exercise.
Environmental Variables and Implementation of Physical and Health Education Curriculum in Secondary Schools
Health education is one strategy of health promotion. The goal of health education is to help students learn about health behaviours. “Environment” according to Longman dictionary of contemporary English is defined as the situations, events, people that influence the way in which people live or work. Similarly, the result of the operation to reach all secondary schools that were conducted a year later showed that on the business being called “teachers” the 2009 edition of global monitoring report showed that eight million Nigeria children are currently out of schools and that Nigeria is not on track to achieve up to 2015. In addition, the problem of mass failure in both WASSCE and NECO has led to the call for the review of the senior secondary school curriculum which some of us have seen to be over-led and poorly implemented because of several problems. However, curriculum implementation is an important aspect of the curriculum process which guides the valuation of students learning process that concerns materials, and ideas being put into practice, the execution of curriculum document efforts of the teachers and learners.
Environmental Variables and Implementation of Physical and Health Education Curriculum in Secondary Schools
Curriculum implementation is a stage when in the midst of learning activities, teachers and learners are involved in a negotiation aimed at promoting learning. This implies that, the learners are in already set up learning conditions to help the learners acquire the desire of knowledge, skill and value for healthy living. The learners are actually involved as they are brought to face encounters with the learning opportunity. The learner’s manipulation of the learning condition determines the teacher’s level of achievement of instructional objectives. The junior secondary school physical and health education curriculum which is trying to become a reality today owned its beginning to the 1997 national policy of education which made health and physical education an instructional subject. It has been adopted and is currently implemented in secondary schools.
A brief description of the curriculum content is deemed appropriate. The health curriculum, which is combined with the physical education curriculum was published officially in 1985 and appears in volume one of the national curriculum for junior secondary school. It is rightly grouped as a science subject by its classification. Eddie (2007)noted that the process of implementation of the curriculum is a highly professional activity, which requires a broad understanding of the forces which interplay in influencing the instructional process/ Achalu (200) confirmed this fact by identifying what are taught to be factors contributing to the unsuccessful implementation of junior secondary school health education curriculum some of which are poor and quantity of teachers, lack of commitment on the part of teachers and government towards meaningful education, lack of basic infrastructures such as conducive classrooms, well-equipped libraries and laboratories and negative attitude on the part of the students.
Literature has shown a poor level of physical and health education performance among school-aged children in secondary school in Nigeria. This work, therefore, highlights the problems responsible for the deficiency in physical and health education junior, secondary school curriculum implementation. They include lack of continuity in scope and sequence of the curriculum, poor quality control monitoring machinery, financial constraints and administrative support and inadequate instructional materials among others.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The health of any nation does not only depend on its national resources, but also to a large extent, on the availability of competent personnel to explore the resources in the right kind of training opportunities, which in turn, depend on the educational system of the nation. The junior secondary schools’ health education curriculum has been sent to schools and attempts have been made to implement it.
What is responsible for some secondary schools in Essien Udim not taking physical and health education in both junior and senior secondary certificate examinations? In other words, the general interest of the subject matter is low in our schools thus rendering the goals and objectives of the curriculum useless. It is upon this fact that this study examines environmental variables and implementation of physical and health curriculum in secondary schools in Essien Udim Local Government Area.
1.3 Objective of the Study
The main objective of this study is to examine the environmental variables and implementation of physical and health education curriculum in secondary schools. Specifically, the study intends to determine whether:
(1) To determine the influence of personal implementations of physical and health education curriculum in Senior Secondary School in Essien Udim Local Government Area.
(2) To determine the influence of instructional materials in the implementation of Physical and Health Education curriculum in Schools in Essien Udim.
1.4 Significance of the Study
It is believed that the findings from this study will assist the education policymakers to intensity campaign in favour of the growth of the numerical strength to the planners. This study will equally suggest the need for and ways of improving the quality of personnel in Nigeria. Also, the use of varieties of instructional materials will contribute an idea to the already existing ones on a planned curriculum for teachers. To the teachers, it also enables them to change their attitude toward students of physical and health education. On a general note, it is felt that this research will be used as an index for more future research on physical and health education as a subject.
1.5 Research Hypothesis
(1) There is no significant relationship between personal implementation of physical and Health Education curriculum and school on the environment in Essien Udim Local Government Area.
(2) There is no significant influence relationship between instructional materials and the implementation of physical and Health Education curriculum in Essien Udim Local Government Area.
Environmental Variables and Implementation of Physical and Health Education Curriculum in Secondary Schools