Junior High School Pupils' Perceptions of Air

The study examined Junior High School (JHS) pupils' ideas of the concept air. The study compared the ideas that pupils from endowed schools have about air with those of their counterparts from un-endowed schools. The study also sought to find out the misconceptions pupils have about air and the implications these have on teaching and learning of science at the basic level. The instrument used consisted of a test and an interview schedule developed from topics dealing with the concept of air. The test consisted of multiple-choice items and an essay. Four hundred and sixty-four (464) JHS pupils made up of 235 from endowed and 229 from un-endowed schools were randomly sampled for the study. A t-test (for independent samples) performed on the mean performances of the groups established a significant difference between pupils from endowed and un-endowed schools in favour of pupils from endowed schools. The interview revealed that JHS pupils express themselves better orally than in written form when examined. The interview also established the fact that pupils from endowed schools had better understanding of the nature of air than their counterparts. A number of recommendations were made. Teachers should identify pupils' pre-conceptions on topics to be taught and design appropriate strategies to effect conceptual change. Remedial interventions such as the Science, Technology and Mathematics Education (STME) clinics for JHS pupils should be intensified and expanded to improve the performance of these pupils in the sciences. African Journal of Educational Studies in Mathematics and Sciences Vol. 3 2005: pp. 53-60