Availability and Teachers’ Awareness of the existence of software packages for developing physics instruction for secondary school students in Minna, Nigeria.

Abstract

Students’ performance in Secondary School Physics Examinations has been unsatisfactory in Minna, Nigeria. Some of the reasons adduced to such poor performance are teachers’ lack of awareness and incompetence in the utilization of appropriate instructional media and tools. This investigation was therefore carried out to determine the level of awareness of physics teachers on the existence of computer software packages for developing physics instruction for secondary school students in Minna, Nigeria. The study also investigated whether these software are available at physics teachers’ disposal in secondary schools in the area. Purposive sampling procedure was employed to select a total of 93 physics teachers from 53 secondary schools in the study area. A questionnaire was used to elicit responses from the samples based on 22 electronic software packets that are adaptable in the development of secondary school physics instruction. The questionnaire was validated by two instructional systems design specialists, two physics education experts and two test and measurement experts. To determine the reliability of the questionnaire, it was administered twice on 10 physics teachers within the population of the study and a reliability coefficient of 0.89 was obtained. Data gathered from the study were analyzed using percentage and report method. Findings revealed that only 13.87% of the teachers are aware of the existence of computer software packages that can help them develop instruction. Also, findings revealed that only 8.02% of the teachers responded that they have these software packages available at their disposal in their respective schools. Based on these findings, it was recommended that in-service training in form of workshops should be organized to improve and update physics teachers’ awareness and competence in the use of software packages; relevant government and school managers should equip schools with required software packages and other technological tools that can assist physics teachers in the teaching of their subject in order to improve students’ performance in physics; practical activities that bother on utilization and application of software packages for developing physics instruction should also be inculcated in the curriculum of teachers in training.