ASSESSMENT OF OUTDOOR LEARNING ACTIVITIES IN THE TEACHING OF BASIC SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA

The study identified the outdoor learning activities in Basic Science and Technology (BST) curriculum. The study assessed the extent of the use of outdoor science learning activities in teaching BST in the junior secondary schools in the study area. It further examined the perceived influence of teachers’ use of outdoor learning activities on students’ learning in the study area. This was with a view to providing information on the outdoor science learning activities in BST Curriculum that could enhance learning outcomes. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The population for the study comprised all Basic Science in public and private junior Secondary Schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria. A purposive sampling technique was used to draw a representative sample of 160 BST teachers. The representative sample size was drawn from four local government areas selected from each of the three senatorial districts in Ekiti State using simple random sampling technique. Seven junior secondary schools from each LGA and two teachers from each school were selected using purposive sampling technique based on the condition that the teachers have been teaching Basic Science and Technology(BST) for more than five years. Data were collected using appropriate questionnaires. The validity of the instruments was ensured through experts’ judgement. The results of the study showed that identified outdoor science learning activities in BST could enhance learning. The study concluded that some of the topics in BST curriculum are often taught with outdoor learning activities while some topics are less often taught on the average. Recommendations that would facilitate the teaching of outdoor learning activities in BST in junior secondary schools such as organising of regular conferences, seminars and workshop for teachers to arouse their awareness on outdoor learning activities in the curriculum were made.