Teachers' Qualification and Errors Committed by Students in Science Practical

The study focussed on teachers’ qualification and errors committed by students in science practical in senior secondary schools using descriptive research of the survey type. The participants were 243 of 1,563 science teachers in Ekiti State public senior secondary school who were selected through multi-stage sampling procedure from the three senatorial districts of the state. An instrument titled, ‘Errors in Science Questionnaire’ (ESQ) was used to collect data from the respondents. The data collected were collated and analysed using descriptive statistics involving frequency counts, mean and percentages. The results of the study revealed among others that errors in science practical were most frequent in physics practical and that most of the teachers teaching science subjects (particularly physics) in senior secondary schools were not qualified with its negative effect on teaching and learning of science. It was therefore recommended among others, that Government should embark on massive recruitment of qualified and experienced science teachers (particularly physics teachers) into the teaching service and encourage in-service trainings for science teachers for professional upgrading and competencies in their jobs which could help them to be more committed to practical oriented method of teaching and reduce the rate of errors committed by students during practical.

Keywords:  Teachers’ qualification, Students, Science Practical, Errors,