Download free project tittle IMPACT OF ACADEMIC STRESS ON LEARNING OF CHEMISTRY CONCEPTS AT SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL IN KATSINA METRPOLIS done Ahmad yahaya a studen of Umaru musa yaradua University Katsina the project is based on factors or the impact of stress that arises in learining Chemistry among the public secondary schools within katsina sate. The Breakdown of the free project is as follows.
Table of Contents
ABSTRACT
The study was carried out to investigate the impact of academic stress on learning of chemistry concepts at senior secondary school level at Katsina metropolis. The objective of this study is to determine the impact of academic stress on learning of chemistry concepts at senior secondary school, also to compare the impact of academic stress on male and female secondary students’ learning of chemistry concepts and to suggest ways of reducing the impact of academic stress on learning of chemistry concepts. The research tends to answer 3 research questions from the 3 of its objectives. The study adopted survey research design, stratified random sampling was chosen for the study. A total sample of 200 students participated in this study were obtained from 4 secondary schools within Katsina local government area. Student’s questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire consisted of 18 items. The tabulated data obtained from the students were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. The data used to answer the research questions. The study shows that academic stress has a significant impact on learning of chemistry concepts at secondary school level. The study also revealed that there is a slight difference between male and female chemistry students with respect to academic stress, the study suggested ways by which academic stress should be reduced. It is recommended that government should consider recruiting qualified chemistry teachers in order to reduce student-teacher ratio, also counseling units should be put in place in all secondary school for better guidance of students to cope with stress. Furthermore, Curriculum planners should make room for stress management subjects in the school curriculum and stake holders in the sector of education should be organizing stress management forum and campaign to help address stress among students.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
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BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
In today’s highly competitive world, students face various academic problems including exam stress, disinterest in attending class and inability to understand the subject. Exams, tight deadlines and interpersonal conflicts are just few examples of the many events that may result in high level of stress in both students and teachers. Researchers over two decades identified stress and the hormones of neurotransmitters released during and after a stressful event as a major modulators of human learning, with critical implications for educational contexts. While stress around the time of learning is thought to enhance memory formation, thus leading to robust memories, stress markedly impairs memory retrieval, bearing, for instance, the risk of underachieving at exams. Recent evidence further indicates that stress may hamper the updating of memories in the light of new information and induce a shift from a flexible, ’cognitive’ form of learning towards rather rigid, ‘habit’-like behavior. Together, these stress induced changes may explain some of the difficulties of learning and remembering under stress in school. Taking these insights from psychological and neuroscience into account could bear to facilitate processes of education for both students and teachers.
Secondary school education is in most countries the phase in the education continuum responsible for the development of the young during their adolescence, the most rapid phase of their physical, mental, and emotional growth.
Secondary school education is a very important turning point in the academic life of the individual. At this stage, the academic performance of students plays a crucial role in deciding about next higher stage of education, and probably career too (Stevenson and harper, 2006).
Therefore, excessive stress during this stage could result in increased prevalence of psychological problems like depression and nervousness, which could ultimately have negative impact on the students.
Academic stress is mental distress with respect to some anticipated frustration associated with academic failure or even unawareness to the possibility of such failure. Students have to face many academic burden/load, for example, school examination, answering questions in the class, showing progress in school subjects, understanding what the teacher is teaching, competing with other class mates, fulfilling teachers and parents academic expectations. Also, Information overload, high expectations of the family members, unrealistic ambitions, limited opportunities, are the main sources of academic stress among the students. Academic stress paves the way of poor academic performance, diminishing peer popularity, depression, attention difficulties, learning difficulties, somatic complaints, substance abuse etc. (Sinha, 2013). The stressed children show the sign of emotional disabilities, shyness, aggressive behavior, social phobia and lack of interest in otherwise enjoyable activities. Academic stress induces anxiety and fear among students which results in losing interest in learning.
Chemistry is defined by Okeke and Ezekamgha (2000) as a branch of science that deals with composition and changes of matter.
Chemistry uses particles models to account for abstract constructs. Therefore, chemical processes such as melting, evaporation, dissolving, diffusion, ion conductor, intermolecular bond and many others are fundamental to learning of chemistry at senior secondary school level.
This study examines the impact of academic stress on learning of chemistry concepts and some possible suggestions on how to cope with academic stress to enhance students’ learning of chemistry in schools.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Quality of education is assessed on the basis of learners’ ability to master what he is supposed to learn. Poor learning condition among secondary school students in Nigeria is causing trouble. Education enables the individuals and society to make an all-round participation in development process by acquiring knowledge, values, skills and attitudes. Learning is affected by many factors, which includes gender difference, age, traveling time to reach the school, income of father, combined study, sitting back in class room, attendance, internet usage for study, previous qualification, among others.
However, psychological factors such as stress, depression and anxiety associated with short learning among students have received little or no attention. Yet, there are global reports of increasing stress among students mainly associated with academic demand. As such, secondary school students grappling with learning deficiency may also have increased levels of stress and poor psychological well-being. It is therefore based on these that this study is finding out the impact of academic stress in learning chemistry concepts at senior secondary school level and see whether or not stress affect achievement..
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OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The objectives of this study are to:-
- Determine the impact of academic stress on learning of chemistry concepts at senior secondary school.
- Compare the impact of academic stress on male and female senior secondary students’ learning of chemistry concepts.
- Suggest ways of reducing the impact of academic stress on learning of chemistry concepts at senior secondary school.
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RESEARCH QUESTIONS
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The research seeks to answer the following questions:-
- What is the impact of academic stress on learning of chemistry concepts at senior secondary school?
- What are the differences in the impact of academic stress on the learning of chemistry concepts at senior secondary school between male and female students?
- What are the possible ways of reducing the impact of academic stress on learning of chemistry concepts at senior secondary school?
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SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
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This study will be of great significance to teachers, because its findings will be enable them apply various teaching methods aimed at reducing stress for effective teaching and learning of chemistry concepts. It will also have great significance to students of chemistry to fully participate and understand chemistry, so as to achieve national objectives of science education. This study will help in finding some solutions to problems facing teaching chemistry in our schools. It was hoped therefore, that the findings of this study would provide insight on the factors that causes stress and its effect on students’ academic performance in chemistry. Teachers of chemistry would find ways of helping students to be free from stress, in order to ameliorate the situation. It was hope that the finding of this study would stimulate interest for further research in chemistry.
Finally, The outcome of the study will provide the government and other stake holders in the sector of education with the necessary information about the influence of stress on learning of chemistry concepts for secondary school students so that positive approach to students’ life could be adopted thereby, ensuring academic success.
1.6 OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS OF TERMS
1.6.1 Stress: a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense.
1.6.2 Academic stress: a stress associated with an academic achievement.
1.6.3 Chemistry: the science of matter; the branch of natural sciences that deals with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions.
1.6.4 Learning: the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge.
1.6.5 Concept: refers to topics in a practical subject.
1.6.6 Secondary School: school for young people between age of 11 and 16 or 18.
1.7 SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The study is deemed to be determined for the senior secondary school students in Katsina metropolis and restricted to academic stress among them. It is also delimited to chemistry students only.
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