ASSESSING THE HOME ECONOMICS EDUCATION AWARENESS LEVEL AMONG JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN CALABAR CROSS RIVER STATE
ABSTRACT
This study was carried out on assessing the home economics education awareness level among junior secondary school students in Ekpoma, Edo State. Specifically, the study ascertaining if the students offer home economics as a subject in school; find out the competency level of their home economics teachers; find out if the students engage in home economics practical; and examine the awareness level of students in home economics. The study employed the survey descriptive research design. A total of 100 responses were validated from the survey which comprised 4 selected secondary school students in Ekpoma, Edo state using purposive sampling method were 25 students each from the selected schools were selected for sampling. Self-constructed and validated questionnaire was used for data collection. The collected and validated questionnaires were analysed using using simple percentage analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the students offer home economics as a subject in their schools; the home economics teachers are full time teachers; the home economics teachers are highly competent; the students engage in home economics practical in their schools and the students level of awareness in home economics is very high. The study recommend School administrators should employ home economics teachers who are well trained with the requisite qualifications in their field. More so, Home economics practical should be made compulsory in secondary schools so as to help the students have a reality learning of what they are taught.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgement
Table of Content
List of Tables
ABSTRACT
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
1.2 Statement of the problem
1.3 Objective of the study
1.4 Research Questions
1.6 Significance of the study
1.7 Scope of the study
1.9 Definition of terms
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 Review of concepts
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Population of the study
3.3 Sample size determination
3.4 Sample size selection technique and procedure
3.5 Research Instrument and Administration
3.6 Method of data collection
3.7 Method of data analysis
3.8 Validity and Reliability of the study
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.1 Data Presentation
4.2 Answering Research Questions
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendation
References
Appendix
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Education is the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or University. Students are enrolled into schools to acquire formal education outside their family. A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution and who is under learning with goals of acquiring knowledge, developing professions and achieving easy employment at a particular field. The curriculum of secondary education is made in such a way that all the necessary subjects the child is meant to offers and knowledge needed at any level is included in the curriculum.
Among the many subjects offered in Junior secondary school, home economics is included in is been continued in the senior secondary school as food and nutrition. Home economics is a subject that concerns cooking, nutrition, housekeeping, personal finance, personal wellness, and consumer issues. Home Economics combines aspects of science, nutrition, cooking, parenting skills and finance. Students learn about the inter-relationships between diet, health, family, home and choice and the management of resources. Home Economics delivers vital skills that enable students to lead effective lives as individuals and family members as well as members of the wider community. These knowledges is impacted in the students through a teacher.
Home Economics as a course in the Nigerian educational system dates as far back as 1840s or even earlier and taught as domestic science. Domestic science was taught in mission and government schools to girls and women, with a lot of improvisation for the teaching of the subject. Today the course is regarded as a very important subject, unique and broad based.
There is increased support of world and international agencies like UNICEF, UNESCO, FAO, WHO, CESAC, Federal ministries of Agriculture and Education. They organize and finance conferences, training in Home Economics and related fields. They also support researches in the area. Today their activities have made the national planners and Nigerian citizens realize the importance of Home Economics for family living and national development, (Nwaiwu,1988)
Enough emphasis is given to the teaching of Home Economics in primary and secondary schools, vocational and technical schools, Colleges of Education and universities. The teaching of Home Economics has taken a new dimension to meet today’s human needs, in its present development and its potential values as it prepares individuals to be self-reliant and self-employed, it reduces the rate of unemployment in the country.
Home Economics programme if properly implemented in our school systems, it will bring about a positive transformation of the citizens.
A teacher is also called an educator is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence or virtue. A teacher's professional duties may extend beyond formal teaching. Outside of the classroom teachers may accompany students on field trips, supervise study halls, help with the organization of school functions, and serve as supervisors for extracurricular activities. In some education systems, teachers may be responsible for student discipline. Rumberger, R. W and Sun Ah Lim, S. (2008).
The level of exposure teachers give to their students makes them to be fully aware of what that subject entails and that will help them defend it externally. Awareness in this context is the level of knowledge or perception the students have about a particular subject. The major excitement of a teacher is seeing your students have vivid understanding of the subject you teach them.
1.2 Statement of the problem
Home economics education nowadays have been seen as a subject that merely deals with food and nutrition in schools. Students when asked what the subject entails, sees it as subject that teaches them how to cook and eat well. However, home economics does not concern only with cooking and nutrition; it involves housekeeping, personal finance, personal wellness, and consumer issues. One major thing in secondary schools nowadays is that home economics teachers hardly engage their students in different practical in their course of study. Students are sometimes not assessed to know their level of understanding and knowledge of the subject and how it involves their everyday lives. Thus, this study tends to assess the level of awareness of home economics education among secondary school students.
1.3 Objective of the study
The primary objective of this study is to assess the home economic education awareness level among junior secondary school students. Specifically, to:
1. Investigate if the students offer home economics as a subject in school.
2. Find out the competency level of their home economics teachers.
3. Find out if the students engage in home economics practical
4. Examine the awareness level of students in home economics
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions guide this study:
1. Do you offer home economics as a subject in your school?
2. How do you rate the competency level of your home economics teacher?
3. Do you engage in home economics practical in your school?
4. How would you rate your awareness level in home economic?
1.5 Significance of the study
This study on assessing the home economics education awareness level among junior secondary school students will be of immense benefit to school administrators and home economics teachers in both private and public schools to know the need to teach home economics effectively in school and the role the awareness will play in the lives of their students. Also, the study will bring to the knowledge of the students the need to learn home economics in schools and to be serious with the subject. The study will further be of benefit to educational and curriculum policy makers to know the need to enforce compulsory practical in the teaching and learning of home economics in schools. This study will also add to existing literature on this domain for scholars and students will might carry out further research on this topic.
1.6 Scope of the study
This study focuses on assessing the home economics education awareness level among junior secondary school students. The study investigates if the students offer home economics as a subject in school; the competency level of their home economics teachers; and if the students engage in home economics practical. The study is limited to selected schools in Ekpoma, Edo State.
1.7 Definition of terms
Home Economics: This is a subject that concerns cooking, nutrition, housekeeping, personal finance, personal wellness, and consumer issues.
Awareness: Knowledge or perception of a situation or fact.
Education: The process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or University.
Students: a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution and who is under learning with goals of acquiring knowledge, developing professions and achieving easy employment at a particular field.
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