EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY AND CURRICULUM

This study was designed to assess the competencies possessed by junior secondary school teachers in teaching and learning of computer science in Oredo Local Government of Edo State. To achieve the fundamental goals of this research, three (3) research questions were raised. This research design for the study was the survey design, five (5) schools were randomly selected within the local Government Area. Simple random technique was used to select a hundred students and seven (7) teachers were used as the sample for the study. The researcher used structured questionnaires to collect data from the respondents and also simple percentage and SPSS for data analysis. The study revealed that computer teachers are competent and
Computer science teachers have practical knowledge of computer science also, computer science teachers demonstrate adequate teaching skills in teaching computer science. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made: Teachers should be trained in the use of internet and it’s utilization to update their knowledge, Teachers should refresh their knowledge of computers and computer science periodically and Teachers should devise means for making their students enthusiastic about computer
science lessons.

This study was designed to determine the extent to which we can substitute our local cheap material resources to supplement the available teaching materials or equipment in the teaching of computer in junior secondary schools. This study was an attempt to carry out a survey on the improvisation of instructional materials for effective teaching and learning of computer in junior secondary schools in Benin metropolis. This is basically a descriptive study. Three (3) research questions were raised. The research design for the study was a survey design. A sample of twenty (20) computer teachers from four(4) private junior secondary schools and three(3) public junior secondary schools were randomly selected in Oredo local government area of Edo state. The instrument used for data collection was the structured questionnaire. The instrument was validated by two (2) lecturers of the faculty of Education and the project supervisor. The data collected were analyzed using simple percentage. The study revealed that computer teachers do not improvise instructional materials and also, that improvisation of teaching materials could enhance teaching methods in computer science. Based on the findings it was recommended that there should be seminars and workshop organized from time to time and should be made compulsory for computer science teachers to attend to teach them on the act and importance of improvisation. Besides the workload of computer science teachers should be reduced this would give the teachers more time for the collection and provision of computer instructional materials.

This study examined the guided discovery method as an instrument for enhancing students ’ retention capacity in basic science. Relevant literatures from books, journals, lectures, textbooks and others were reviewed to find out the opinions of other authors regarding the effectiveness of guided discovery method and its supremacy over the didactic method. The main objectives were investigating the extent to which the guided discovery method will enhance the retention capacity of basic science students, compare the retention capacities of male and female students taught with the guided discovery method and to compare the mean scores of basic science students taught with guided discovery method and the didactic method in a retention test.The population of the study comprised of all junior secondary school students in Egor Local Government area of Edo State. Out of these schools,one was chosen, having two intact classes of JSS III basic science students, and this constituted the sample of the study. A 50-item achievement test was administered to the two treatment groups (the experimental and control groups) before and after the treatment and the scores obtained were analysed using t-test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The findings indicated that the guided discovery method enhances the students ’ retention capacity than the didactic method. Also, retention rate was lower for girls than for boys. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the guided discovery teaching method should be aplied in teaching basic science.