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Main Article Content
Junior High School Pupils' Perceptions of Air
Abstract
The study examined Junior High School (JHS) pupils' ideas of the concept air. The
study compared the ideas that pupils from endowed schools have about air with those of
their counterparts from un-endowed schools. The study also sought to find out the
misconceptions pupils have about air and the implications these have on teaching and
learning of science at the basic level. The instrument used consisted of a test and an
interview schedule developed from topics dealing with the concept of air. The test
consisted of multiple-choice items and an essay. Four hundred and sixty-four (464) JHS
pupils made up of 235 from endowed and 229 from un-endowed schools were randomly
sampled for the study. A t-test (for independent samples) performed on the mean
performances of the groups established a significant difference between pupils from
endowed and un-endowed schools in favour of pupils from endowed schools. The
interview revealed that JHS pupils express themselves better orally than in written form
when examined. The interview also established the fact that pupils from endowed
schools had better understanding of the nature of air than their counterparts. A number
of recommendations were made. Teachers should identify pupils' pre-conceptions on
topics to be taught and design appropriate strategies to effect conceptual change.
Remedial interventions such as the Science, Technology and Mathematics Education
(STME) clinics for JHS pupils should be intensified and expanded to improve the
performance of these pupils in the sciences.
African Journal of Educational Studies in Mathematics and Sciences Vol. 3 2005: pp. 53-60
