Bulgarian Journal of Science and Education Policy (Jun 2010)
Analysis of Science Process Skills in West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Physics Practical Examinations in Nigeria
Abstract
This study analyzes the science process skills in West African senior secondary school certificate physics practical examinations in Nigeria for a period of 10 years (1998-2007). Ex-post facto design was adopted for the study. The 5 prominent science process skills identified out of the 15 used in the study are: manipulating (17%), calculating (14%), recording (14%), observing (12%) and communicating (11%). The results also show high percentage rate of basic (lower order) science process skills (63%) as compared to the integrated (higher order) science process skills (37%). The results also indicate that the number of basic process skills is significantly higher than the integrated process skills in the West African senior secondary school certificate physics practical examinations in Nigeria. It is recommended that the examination bodies in Nigeria should include more integrated science process skills into the senior secondary school physics practical examinations so as to enable the students to be prone to creativity, problem solving, reflective thinking, originality and invention which are vital ingredients for science and technological development of any nation.
