CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Basic Technology which is similar to industrial arts can be defined as an educational system that involves instructional workshop of non-vocational type which provide general education experiences centred around the industrial and technical aspects of life and offers orientation in the areas of application, production, consumption and recreation through actual experience with materials and goods. It also serves as exploratory experiences which are helpful in the choice of a vocation.
Since the study of introductory Technology is the foundation for present technological development in Nigeria and technology is the application of science to make the world comfortable, introduction technology teaching, aims at assisting the learner in developing certain interest skills, attitudes and knowledge regarding the other technology assists human civilisation in their effective use of natural resources for their well-being through the application of appropriate techniques.
Both science and technology provide individuals with the necessary attributes that will help to solve problem of immediate environment. These helps are stated below.
(i) It makes our life simpler
(ii) It helps us to organize our daily activities
(iii) It wakes our job faster
(iv) It is easier to communicate with other people
(v) It helps us to know and understand other culture and society and lots more.
According to the National policy on education (1977) reviewed the objectives of Introductory technology in secondary schools are:
(i) To prepare students for useful living in a science and technologically oriented society.
(ii) To equip students with the skills necessary for coping with demands of highest education.
In the pursuit of these two objectives, the policy describes introductory technology as a core subject not only at the junior secondary schools but also at the senior secondary schools level.
At the early stages of development, secondary education was designed almost entirely for college/university bound students. In recent years, under the impetus of the New National Government Policy on Education (6-3-3-4). Vocational education gradually become recognised as an essential facet of the total educational programme for the youth of our nation.
The general attitude today is that our educational system must somehow provide more extensive learning opportunities and this under educational spectrum must be geared to better serve the needs of the youth and the society.
In Technical Education, there are few numbers of people that enrol for different specialization, also in Ekiti State, there are few people with technical knowledge. Ekiti State is regarded as a fountain of knowledge with many educational scholars all from humanities. Vocational education is related to the background, this calls for concern and attention.
Statement of the problem
Presently, with the new 6-3-3-4 system of education under the new National Policy of Education, Technical education has been accorded its befitting status just like any other academic discipline like the sciences and Arts.
In an effort to achieve the positive outcome and thus create on impact in National development, the teaching of Introductory technology in Nigeria faces a number of problems prominent among these problems are funds, library facilities, inadequate workshops, numerous but to mention a few.
A lot of educationists are concerned about the attitude/interests of student towards Introductory Technology subjects in the nation’s secondary schools. Some people believed that the 6-3-3-4 new system of education is too cumbersome and that the contents of the syllabus which the students are supposed to learn are above their standard. This calls for this study to determine the factors influencing the attitudes of student towards introductory technology in junior secondary schools.
Objective of the study
The study is to examine the attitude of secondary schools towards the learning of Basic technology.
(1) The study would determine the factors influencing the attitude of students towards introductory technology.
(2) The study would evaluate the relationship between the academic performance of the student and their attitude towards introductory technology.
Research Questions
The main purpose of this study has been broken down into the following research questions to serve as guides for the study.
1. What is the general attitude of the students towards learning Basic technology?
2. What are the factors responsible for each attitude?
3. What is the relationship between such attitudes and student performance in Basic Technology?
Significance of the study
The outcome of this study would be a possible area of assistance which could enhance students better performance in the subject. It will also provide some information to help the students overcome their problems in Basic technology.
The study would help to determine the performance of students in Basic technology. The study will also help to determine the attitude of interest towards Basic technology. The study would be beneficial to the government, students and the society at large as it would have unveil the hindrances towards Introductory technology in our schools.
Delimitation of the study
This research is delimited to secondary schools in Ekiti State. Some secondary schools in four local government area of Ekiti State were selected for the study. The research was confined to J.S.S.II and J.S.S.III students only.
