Determination of Students’ Interest in Basic Science and Technology: A Case Study in Nasarawa State,-Nigeria

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to analyse student’s interest on Basic science and Technology curriculum in Nasarawa state. The study has a sampled population of 2,105 students in Nasarawa state of Nigeria made up of 1,277 lower middle Basic Science, (primary 1-6) and 828 junior secondary school students. In general, students were dissatisfied with what they were taught in school, as the school program failed to address subjects that they were interested in while in school. When asked what they wanted to learn in school, the majority of these students in both primary and junior secondary schools mentioned a variety of activities that are not taught in school by teachers-activities that have a direct link with their natural instinct and or inclination, based on a feeling of liking or disliking a given subject area. The most pressing concern is the impact of vocation on a student's career choice and the challenges they experienced in making that decision as they approached the conclusion of primary and junior secondary school. Because schooling determines a student's profession and future life, and because of the general discontent with school programs found in this study, it is vital to examine completely new fundamental science curriculum content for the best interests of our children in Nasarawa state.