ISSUES AND TRENDS IN SCIENCE EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Abstract

It is clearly noticeable that science education in the early 21st century is facing a myriad of issues in African countries particularly in Nigerian education system. Indeed, students in Nigeria still lag behind their counterpart in other nations in science achievement. Some of the complex issues in the field of science education include the availability of appropriate textbooks and classroom resources; the availability of financial support and curriculum resources; the preparation and training of science teachers (including both pre-service training and in-service professional development); political and religious opposition to cutting-edge science instruction; the need to meet standards and to prepare students for standardized examinations; and the dramatically increasing use of the internet as a source of information. Given these and other issues, it is extremely important to understand, acknowledge, and build upon the abilities of adolescent learners, while at the same time tailoring instruction to address the unique challenges faced by this age group. It is in the light of the above that this publication attempts to highlight the issues and trends in science education in Nigeria. The paper looks at the science education as a vehicle for sustainable economic development. The various challenges faced by science education were also discussed. Finally, the paper also provides way forward to the numerous challenges inhibiting the sustainable development of science education in Nigeria.