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INFLUENCE OF MENTORING AND ROLE MODELING IN PROMOTING SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL GIRLS ATTITUDES AND SELF–EFFICACY IN CHEMISTRY

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to identify senior secondary school girls’ mentors and role models, determine the mentoring and role modeling qualities that could promote girls interest and self efficacy in chemistry. Two hundred senior secondary school girls were purposively chosen from two senior secondary schools from Lagos educational district 1, Agege. Questionnaire was used to collect data and data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS). The results showed that senior secondary school girls mentors are their mothers (N=103, 51.5%), there role model is also their mothers (N=65, 32.5%) closely followed by medical doctors (N=47, 23.5%). Both represent more than half of the total sample.  

The findings of the study also showed that self confidence of mentors can significantly promote girls self efficacy in chemistry. Openness/objectivity of mentors and optimism/hard working nature of role model significantly promote senior secondary school girls interest and self efficacy in chemistry. Self confidence of mentor was not a realistic measure of senior secondary school girls’ interest in chemistry. Moral behavior of role model cannot significantly promote girls interest and self efficacy in chemistry.

CHAPTER ONE

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The role of chemistry as a requirement for technological advancement of a nation cannot be over emphasized and Nigeria is not an exception (Nbina J, 2012). Eke (2008) stated that any nation aspiring to be scientifically and technological developed must have adequate level of chemistry education. Based on this, the Federal government through, her national policy on education, made chemistry a compulsory science subject at the secondary level (NPE 2004). According to Adesoji & Olatunbosun (2008) Chemistry is one of core science subjects at the senior secondary level and plays significant role in unifying other science subjects. This calls for the need to teach it effectively.

Thomas & Tinu (2008) opined that the senior secondary school is to prepare student for the future activities in the area of science and technology. At this level, teaching ought to be activity oriented and centered on the student. Saage (2009) reported that despite the increasing important of chemistry, the performance of Nigerian students in the subject at secondary school remains considerably poor. According to Betiku (2002), the available report from West African Examination Council(WAEC) shows that student achievement in chemistry worsen as years go by and many students seem to have negative attitude towards the subject.

Farhana W & Zainum M (2013) stated that many factors contributed to student success and one of the factors is students’ attitude to learning. They opined that understanding students’ attitude is essential in supporting students’ achievement and interest towards a particular subject .Papanastasious (2001) reported that those who have positive attitude towards science perform better in the subject. The teachers play an important role during the learning process and they can directly or indirectly influence the student interest towards the subject, which in consequence can influence student performance. Britner &Pajares (2006) showed that self-efficacy is especially important in learning difficult subjects, such as biology and other sciences, given that students enter courses with varying levels of fear and anxiety. As concepts in the course become increasingly complex, self-efficacy becomes a more important variable that influences the potential for student learning. They demonstrated that students’ self-efficacy is a strong predictor of their academic performance. Poor academic performance of student in science subject is of great concern to parents, educators, scholars and government. More worrisome is the poor performance of female students. Orodho A (1996) reported that poor performance in chemistry is attributed to several factors. These include inappropriate syllabus, students’ poor attitudes towards the subject and inadequate resources.

Bashir & Kabir (2009) posited that gender difference in science, technology and mathematics is characterized by under representation and under achievement in these areas by female. Findings from studies on science education revealed that female enrollment in science subjects are very low. Reporting National Educational and development research council (NERDC, 1992) reveals that between years 1987 and 1991 only about 40% of students that sat for the science subjects of the final school certificate examination were female students. Irowi (1991) noticed that the rate of female participation in school science worldwide is lower than male participation.

Onekutu(2002) wrote that achievement test results over the years have shown an ever increasing gap between the performance of boys and girls in chemistry at senior secondary school level. According to Eriba & Ande (2006), this has resulted to a situation where there are more boys than girls doing chemistry at this level i.e. boys dominated chemistry and science classes while the girls go into reading languages and Arts. This perceived low achievement of girls in chemistry is an unpleasant development which spells doom for those who would have like to pursue careers in science programs in the universities.

Some factors have been identified to be responsible for this and are discussed below:

1.1.1 Factors that negatively influence female participation and performance in science and technology.  

(a) According to Bashir & Kabir (2009), women play numerous roles at home, leading to the assumptions that women’s place is in the kitchen, which implies that home duties and family responsibilities should be her sole priority. This assumption negatively affects women active participation in national development in general and scientific field in particular. As an individual, educated woman scientists have numerous roles to play alongside their home duties. She can be a professional science teacher, doctor, engineer, nurse, mid-wife etc.

(b) Bashir & Kabir (2009) stated that the assumptions that female are biologically not designed for energy exerting and hazardous occupations also militates against female participation in science and technology and mathematics. This argument may not be true anymore because, with the age of information technology (IT), intellectual ability counts more than physical energy.

(c) Catherine W (2008) reported that, in many African countries, girls’ exclusion from science can be attributed largely to the construction of feminine identities, ideologies of domesticity and gender stereotypes. According to UNESCO, “TIMSS 2011 Such gendered stereotypes are often ingrained early in life and are difficult to overcome. There is a prevalent view in Nigeria that women’s and men’s traditional roles in society should be preserved, and therefore girls should not compete with boys in class. Those who do pursue science can be stigmatized as aberrant or, at best, deemed “exceptional,” whereas boys are presumed to have a “natural ability.

(d) According to Bashir & Kabir (2009) the home contributes to female lack of participation in science, technology and mathematics. At home, some parents discourage their female children from entering for science subjects at secondary school level. This attitudes exhibited undermines female confidence and conveying strong messages that science and technical subjects are no go areas. Some parents only educate male children at the expensed of female. In the northern part of the country, education of majority of the female children ends at post primary school level. They are married out at a very early age and there education disrupted. The school portrays teacher bias which affects females’ confidence and performance. Teachers’ different expectation for females affects their achievement.

(e) Lastly, Ekine, A(1999) asserted that  with more women accessing science education and careers, even if in small numbers, these views are beginning to change. Nigerians are increasingly able to point to female role models such as Grace Alele Williams, who was the first Nigerian woman to obtain a doctorate, in mathematics education, and who then rose to become the first female vice chancellor of the University of Benin. Nonetheless, Nigerian women’s lack of visibility in the sciences, and the lack of recognition that they can play a part in the sciences, at both the local and national levels, persists. These different forms of cultural bias and discrimination against girls in relation to their participation in science greatly exacerbate their lack of self-confidence, which often translates into a lack of interest and leads them to drop out of science classes. As girls get older, they tend to become less confident in their abilities, even if

they are performing at the same levels as their male peers, and thus they often show science and

mathematics related anxieties, and come to believe that science is not for them. Mentoring and role modeling can be used as intervention strategies to encourage girls’ interest and self efficacy in chemistry, thereby improving their performance.

1.1.2 Mentoring in promoting girls attitude and self-efficacy in chemistry 

According to Mentorset (2014), mentoring is a powerful personal development and empowerment tool. It is an effective way of helping people (students) to make progress in their careers and is becoming increasingly popular as its potential is realized. Mentoring is a partnership between two people (Mentor and Mentee) normally working in a similar field or sharing similar experiences. It is a relationship based upon mutual trust and respect. A mentor is a guide, who can help the mentee to develop solutions to career issues. A mentor helps the mentee (female students in this work) to believe in herself, boost her confidence while providing guidance and encouragement. Mentors help keep students in school, helps with homework and can improve their mentees’ academic skills. A number of studies have revealed a correlation between a young person’s involvement in a quality mentoring relationship and positive outcomes in the areas of school, mental health, problem behavior and health. Also, Marshall (2001), define mentoring as a process of people helping people; where helping teaching, advising counseling, instructing and guidance are provided by one person to another. He suggested that mentoring increases networking and social interaction. Lough( 2001),describes mentoring as a process that links an experienced individual with someone who needs support and guidance. Abbey (1991) proposed that mentoring schemes as a mechanism for developing females’ careers and providing a genuine opportunity to become significant leaders in sport. Bauldry & Hartman (2004) reported that mentoring programs have achieved extensive public recognition due to their remarkable success in increasing positive behaviors in youth and reducing negative behaviors. According to Jekielek, Moore and Hair (2002), youth participation in mentoring relationships improved important educational measures such as unexcused absences and better attitudes. They noted that mentoring also helped develop healthier behaviors (less drug and alcohol use) and improved social and behavioral outcomes, such as better relationship with parents and peers. Wood and Mayo-Wilson (2012) in their meta-analysis of school based mentoring programs for adolescents similarly found small to modest positive changes in student attendance. Wheeler, Keller, Dubois (2010), Funk and Ek (2002) and Jekielek et al. (2002) also reported reductions in truancy in their studies.

1.1.3 Qualities of a mentor

According to Daloz, 1999 & Guy, 2002. A mentor was described as an older, more experienced person who shared his or her expertise and knowledge with a mentee. As mentoring research progressed, age differential between mentor and mentee was found increasingly irrelevant. Knowledge, skill, expertise, and experience of the mentor were considered more essential than age differential. The mentor must also be knowledgeable, experienced, interested, accessible, and a networker. This individual must be willing to share resources, observe confidentiality, show mutual respect, and show affection (Carruthers, 1993; English, 1996). In a qualitative study of 27 mentors from 5 medium to large companies, Allen and Poteet (1999) found characteristics of an ideal mentor. Among these were listening and communication skills, patience, knowledge of the organization, the ability to understand others, honesty, a genuine interest in mentoring, people-orientation, structure, vision, common sense, self-confidence, openness to suggestions, leadership qualities, versatility, respect of others, an ability to teach, willingness to give feedback, and fairness/objectivity. The mentor has an outlook which is both positive and realistic, is prepared to give quality time to others, will listen and not pre-judge, retains an interest in their own growth and development, has a degree of self-assurance which enables them to be challenged and receive criticism (and to give it), and is prepared for occasional feelings of discomfort (Whitaker & Cartwright, 2000). In addition, the mentor displays an ability to readily see potential in a person; tolerance with mistakes, brashness, abrasiveness, and the like, in order to see that potential develop; flexibility in responding to people and circumstances; patience; perspective; and gifts and abilities that build up and encourage others (Stanley & Clinton, 1992). The mentor is also a person of integrity, judgment, wisdom, self-knowledge (Garvey, Alfred, & Smith, 1996), and a high tolerance for complexity with the ability to help the mentee navigate it (Garvey & Alred, 2001). A unique perspective on mentor function held that social judgment capacities were essential, including wisdom, social perceptiveness, and moral and social reasoning (Sosik & Lee, 2002). MacCallum & Beltman (2002) noted that mentors need to be caring and have a positive non judgmental approach to young people and guide them in their journey. According to Mc Kimm et al. (2003), the following are qualities that characterize good mentors: good interpersonal skills, objectivity, role model, flexibility peer respect, demonstrable competence, reflective practitioner, non-threatening, attitude facilitator of learning, allowing the development of initiative and independence, open mindedness, approachability, self-confidence and self awareness advocacy, sincerity, warmth, commitment, understanding etc.

Heeralal P (2014) carried out a study on student teachers’ perspective of qualities of good mentor teachers. The result of the study is presented in table A. The data suggests that student teachers would like their mentors to be knowledgeable, experienced, honest, respectful, fair, flexible and understanding, Student teachers do not like to have mentors that are controlling and strict

Table1.1: Students preferences of qualities of mentor teachers

Qualities

Percentage of students preferring this quality

Knowledgeable

94.9

Experienced

84.7

Honest

84.6

Respectful

92.3

Fair

84.6

Understanding

89.7

Strict

30.8

Controlling

25.6

1.1.4 Role modeling in promoting girls attitude and self-efficacy in chemistry

According to Kenny, Mann & Macheod, (2003), role modeling is described as teaching by example and influencing people in an often times unintentional, unaware, informal and episodic manner. That is, everyone serves as role model for learners in our field through our routine actions. It has been referred to as the “hidden curriculum” of professional education as one often lack understanding regarding the influence role modeling has on learners. Students learn behaviors that appears successful to them in the light of their personal goals and rewards. This is a foundational principle of social learning theory and how role models exert influence on others. 

According to Lockwood & Kunda ( 1997), a role model can be a symbolic entity, an inspirational and/or motivational individual, someone from whom one can learn and model desired behaviors. Role modeling according to Dake and Taylor (1994)  is teaching by example and learning by imitation.

Asghani & Atabaki (2011) found that role models not only help students develop their knowledge and skill, but also play significant role in shaping and inspiring a career. According to Teach.com (2014), a role model inspires and encourages us to strive for greatness, live to our full potential and see the best in ourselves. Students learn through role models, through their commitment to excellence and ability to