ABSTRACT

This study was carried out on assessing the home economics education awareness level among junior secondary school students in Ekpoma, Edo State. Specifically, the study ascertaining if the students offer home economics as a subject in school; find out the competency level of their home economics teachers; find out if the students engage in home economics practical; and examine the awareness level of students in home economics. The study employed the survey descriptive research design. A total of 100 responses were validated from the survey which comprised 4 selected secondary school students in Ekpoma, Edo state using purposive sampling method were 25 students each from the selected schools were selected for sampling. Self-constructed and validated questionnaire was used for data collection. The collected and validated questionnaires were analysed using using simple percentage analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the students offer home economics as a subject in their schools; the home economics teachers are full time teachers; the home economics teachers are highly competent; the students engage in home economics practical in their schools and the students level of awareness in home economics is very high. The study recommend School administrators should employ home economics teachers who are well trained with the requisite qualifications in their field. More so, Home economics practical should be made compulsory in secondary schools so as to help the students have a reality learning of what they are taught.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Education is the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or University. Students are enrolled into schools to acquire formal education outside their family. A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution and who is under learning with goals of acquiring knowledge, developing professions and achieving easy employment at a particular field. The curriculum of secondary education is made in such a way that all the necessary subjects the child is meant to offers and knowledge needed at any level is included in the curriculum.

Among the many subjects offered in Junior secondary school, home economics is included in is been continued in the senior secondary school as food and nutrition. Home economics is a subject that concerns cooking, nutrition, housekeeping, personal finance, personal wellness, and consumer issues. Home Economics combines aspects of science, nutrition, cooking, parenting skills and finance. Students learn about the inter-relationships between diet, health, family, home and choice and the management of resources. Home Economics delivers vital skills that enable students to lead effective lives as individuals and family members as well as members of the wider community. These knowledges is impacted in the students through a teacher.

Home Economics as a course in the Nigerian educational system dates as far back as 1840s or even earlier and taught as domestic science. Domestic science was taught in mission and government schools to girls and women, with a lot of improvisation for the teaching of the subject. Today the course is regarded as a very important subject, unique and broad based.

There is increased support of world and international agencies like UNICEF, UNESCO, FAO, WHO, CESAC, Federal ministries of Agriculture and Education. They organize and finance conferences, training in Home Economics and related fields. They also support researches in the area. Today their activities have made the national planners and Nigerian citizens realize the importance of Home Economics for family living and national development, (Nwaiwu,1988)

Enough emphasis is given to the teaching of Home Economics in primary and secondary schools, vocational and technical schools, Colleges of Education and universities. The teaching of Home Economics has taken a new dimension to meet today’s human needs, in its present development and its potential values as it prepares individuals to be self-reliant and self-employed, it reduces the rate of unemployment in the country.

Home Economics programme if properly implemented in our school systems, it will bring about a positive transformation of the citizens.

A teacher is also called an educator is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence or virtue. A teacher's professional duties may extend beyond formal teaching. Outside of the classroom teachers may accompany students on field trips, supervise study halls, help with the organization of school functions, and serve as supervisors for extracurricular activities. In some education systems, teachers may be responsible for student discipline. Rumberger, R. W and Sun Ah Lim, S. (2008).

The level of exposure teachers give to their students makes them to be fully aware of what that subject entails and that will help them defend it externally. Awareness in this context is the level of knowledge or perception the students have about a particular subject. The major excitement of a teacher is seeing your students have vivid understanding of the subject you teach them.

1.2 Statement of the problem

Home economics education nowadays have been seen as a subject that merely deals with food and nutrition in schools. Students when asked what the subject entails, sees it as subject that teaches them how to cook and eat well.  However, home economics does not concern only with cooking and nutrition; it involves housekeeping, personal finance, personal wellness, and consumer issues. One major thing in secondary schools nowadays is that home economics teachers hardly engage their students in different