Effects of Fieldwork on Secondary School Teachers’ Attitude towards the Study if Ecology in Ekiti State

Abstract

The study focused on the effect of field work on Secondary School teachers’ attitudes towards the study of ecology. The study investigated the effect of variables like sex, teacher’s qualification, and teaching experience on their attitudes toward the study of ecology. A pretest – post test design was used for the study. The population for the study consisted of biology teachers in Ekiti State Senior Secondary Schools. The sample was 180 senior secondary school biology teachers randomly selected from the three senatorial districts in the state. The only instrument used in collecting relevant data for the study was a questionnaire consisting of two sections, A and B. Section A consisted of personal bio-data of the subjects while section B considered of twenty items which elicited information on their attitude towards the study of ecology. Two general questions were raised and three hypotheses were tested. Data collected was analyzed using the descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation as well as inferential statistics of t-test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The results showed that the teacher’s attitude towards the study of ecology was more positive after the treatment. The result also revealed that qualification and teaching experience of teachers had no significant effect on their attitude towards ecology fieldwork. It was recommended that seminar should be organized for teachers on the necessity of using field work method of teaching ecological aspect of biology rather than using theoretical approach only.