High Turnover of Male Science Teachers Over Female Science Teachers in Public Secondary Schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria (Published)
This study sought to investigate the disparity in turnover rates between male and female science teachers in public secondary schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria, and examined differences in their conditions of service. Utilizing an ex-post facto research design, data were collected from 712 science teachers and 112 principals from a selection of 112 schools, drawn from a population of 2,950 science teachers and 205 principals. A specially designed inventory, “Science Teachers Turnover Inventory (STTI),” was employed for data collection. The study found a significant difference in turnover rates between male and female science teachers. The calculated t-value (t-cal) of 5.771 exceeded the critical t-value (t-table) of 1.96 at a 0.05 level of significance, leading to the rejection of the first null hypothesis. However, the analysis revealed no significant difference in the conditions of service for male and female science teachers. The t-cal (1.02) was less than the t-table (1.96) at a 0.05 level of significance, leading to the retention of the null hypothesis. The results indicate a need for policy changes to address the high turnover of male science teachers in Ekiti State’s public secondary schools, potentially impacting the quality of science education. Recommendations include encouraging male science teachers through special allowances and funding in-service training programs to improve their retention and professional development.
Keywords: Gender, Secondary School, high turnover, science teachers
Gender Difference in Fieldtrip and Video Technology Methods of Teaching Social Studies in Junior Secondary Schools (Published)
The study investigated gender difference in fieldtrips and video-technology methods in teaching Social studies in Junior Secondary Schools in Port Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers state. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The research design adopted for this study was a quasi-experimental design which made use of pre-test, post-test, non-randomized, non-equivalent, control group design. From a population of 6, 240 Social Studies students which are made up of 2, 467 males and 3, 773 females of 13 schools in Port Harcourt LGA, 195 JSS II Social Studies students of three intact classes randomly drawn from three Government co-educational Secondary Schools constituted the sample for the study. The instrument for data collection was an achievement test constructed by the researcher, titled, “Social Studies Achievement Test (SSAT)”. The Social studies Achievement Test (SSAT) is a multiple choice objective test consisting of twenty five (25) items with five options (A-E). The test instrument was validated and had a reliability coefficient of 0.87 through Kuder-Richardson 20 (KR20) formula as a measure of the instrument internal consistency. The study was conducted for seven (7) weeks. The second week for obtaining the pre-test score while the 7th week for posttest scores. The main instruction lasted for four (4) weeks. Mean, standard deviation and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were the statistical tools used for analyses. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The results of the study showed that there is a significant difference in the mean achievement score of male students taught with fieldtrips and those taught with video technology (F (1, 67) = 4.279, p = .042). However, it was found out that there is no significant difference in the mean achievement score of female students taught with fieldtrips and those taught with video technology (F(1, 62) = .391, p = .534). Based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that fieldtrips and video technology could be effectively used to teach students irrespective of their gender. Therefore, it is recommended that teachers incorporate these teaching methods in teaching Social Studies especially concepts that require hands-on information.
Keywords: Gender, Instructional strategy, Social Studies, fieldtrip, video technology