HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
SCIENCE EDUCATION
INTRODUCTION
The department of science education is one of the departments in the faculty of education of the university. It was one of the early departments to take off in the university under the old Anambra State University of Technology (ASUTECH) Enugu. The department started as Department of Science and Technology Education Enugu Campus.
EARLY TIMES
The department started in 1984 a few years after the Anambra State University of Science and Technology (ASUTECH) was inaugurated with staff strength of five lecturers. The department awarded only Bachelor of Science degree in science education (B.sc (ed)) until 1989 when it started higher degree programmes, both Masters of Science Education and Doctor of Philosophy in Science Education. The department had at the very beginning five programmes; they are as follows:
i. Biology Education
ii. Chemistry Education
iii. Integrated Science Education
iv. Mathematics Education
v. Physics Education
Computer Science Education programme was added in 2003.
ACCREDITATION EXERCISES
The department have had full accreditation for her five programmes on different occasions. The first was in 1991/1992 academic year when the first five programmes were fully accredited. In 1999/2000, the existing five programmes were fully accredited again, and she was named the best Science Education Department in Nigeria after that exercise.
In 2002 the department was merged with the department of Educational Foundations. The two departments were however demerged in 2004 and once more it became a fullfledged department. At 2005/2006 accreditation exercise, she once more had full accreditation for the six programmesas she now has, and till present has not lost any accreditation for any of her programmes.
STUDENTS OUTPUT
Hundreds of men and women have successfully passed out of the department with Bachelor of Science in Education degree over the years. In the 1999/2000 academic year, the first higher (doctorate) degree student was produced by the department. Ever since then, many masters and Doctorate degrees have followed in quick succession. Currently, there are many students engaged in higher degree programmes of the department.
STAFF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
All the academic staff of the department are actively involved in research in various areas of science education, and this is supported by the many professors and readers produced in the department.
Three academic staff members successfully mounted a “science camp” for improving the art of science between 1996 and 1998. They are professors F.O.C. Ndu, E.O. Akuezuilo and Dr. S.O.C. Okeke. All the academic staff are involved in community development through participating in training and retraining programmes for primary and secondary school teachers.
One of our students, Okwuduba Emmanuel N. (now a staff of the department) was the first to win Stephen Oluwale Awokoya Foundation Scholarship for the Best Science Education Student in Nigeria in the 2010/2011 academic year. Other students also won various scholarships which comprised of Federal government scholarships and Private scholarships.
The department houses one Journal known as Unizik Journal of STM Education. Since the inception of the journal in 2009, six issues of four volumes have been produced and is now online.
- Grading System
- The mark obtained in each course is made up of continuous assessment 30% and an end-of-semester examination of 70%.
- Continuous assessment comprises any of:
- at least three tests, quizzes or assignments
- term paper, exhibition, field trip
- assessment in workshop/laboratory/studio/clinics or any combination as may be applicable to the discipline.
- Marks from continuous assessment shall be conducted for the Head of the Department at least two weeks before the start of the semester examinations.
- End-of-semester examinations shall be conducted for the course registered in that semester except in the Faculty of Medicine where the professional examinations are given whenever they fall due.
- Grade Point (GP)
The mark scored in each course (continuous assessment score plus end-of-semester examination score) has an equivalent letter grade of F to A, and each letter grade has a corresponding numerical value of 0.00 to 5.00 called a GRADE POINT as in Table I.
- Grade Point Average (GPA)
- The academic performance of a student in any semester shall be measured with the Grade Point Average (GPA), the maximum value of which is 5.00, and the minimum 0.00.
- Quality Point (QP): The product of the Credit Unit and Grade Point of each course defines the Quality Point for that course.
- Grade Point Average (GPA) = Sum of Quality Points ÷ Total Credit Units for all the courses registered in the semester.
- The Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)
- The Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is the measure of the student’s overall academic performance at any given point in his programme.
- CGPA is normally computed at the end of each semester as an up-to-date weighted mean of the grade points, where the weights are the course credit units.
- The Grade Points earned at all end of semester examination shall count towards the CGPA in (iv) below.
- Cumulative Grade Point Average
(CGPA) = Sum of all Quality Points ÷ Sum of all Credit Units.
For all courses registered/repeated so far in the programme.
- The Final Cumulative Grade Point Average (Final CGPA) calculated at the end of a student’s academic programme shall determine the class of degree he shall be awarded
TABLE I
| I | II | III | IV | V |
| MARKS (%) | LETTER GRADES | GRADE POINTS | FINAL CGPA | CLASS OF DEGREE |
| 70-100
60-69 50-59 45-49 40-44 0-39 |
A
B C D E F |
5.00
4.00 3.00 2.00 1.00 0.00 |
4.50-5.00
3.50-4.49 2.40-3.49 1.50-2.39 1.00-1.49 0.00-0.99 |
1st Class
2nd Class Upper 2nd Class Lower 3rd Class Pass Fail |
- Academic Standing
There shall be only two classes of students: student in good academic standing, and student on academic probation.
- Good Academic Standing
- A cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of all least 1.00 shall place a student in good academic standing.
- Academic Probation
- A student whose CGPA lies between 0.06 and 0.09 shall be placed on academic probation in the following session.
- Such a student shall either:
- re-register and repeat the failed courses and any other course, subject to a maximum of 15 (fifteen) credits or
- transfer to another programme
- Withdrawals by Students
- Withdrawal from the Department/Faculty
A student may transfer out of his present Department/Faculty on academic grounds if his CGPA falls between 0.06 and 0.99 while in good academic standing.
- Withdrawal from the University on Academic Grounds
- A student shall be required to withdraw from the University on academic grounds at the end of each session if:
- his/her CGPA is below 0.06
- his/her CGPA is below 1.00 while on probation
- he/she has spent more than 150% of the minimum time required for his programme as in 4.4 for reasons other than ill-health.
- A student who has withdrawn from the University on academic grounds shall apply for re-admission through JAMB.
- Voluntary Withdrawal
- A student of the University may withdraw voluntarily at any time on completion of a voluntary withdrawal from and on the approval of Senate.
- A student granted voluntary withdrawal shall retain all the grades he made in the courses he has taken so far.
- A student who had withdrawn voluntarily may be considered for re-admission on application to Senate.
TABLE II: SUMMARY OF ACADEMIC STANDING
| CGPA | EFFECT | CGPA | EFFECT |
|
1.00-5.00 |
G o o d S t a n d i n g |
||
|
0.60-0.99 |
Repeat the Year OR Change Dept |
>1.00 |
Good Standing |
|
<1.00 |
Withdraw from University |
||
| 0.00-0.59 | Withdraw from University | ||
- Withdrawal from the University on Health Grounds
- A student shall be allowed to withdraw from the University on health grounds if the recommendation for such a withdrawal by a medical officer is authenticated by the University Director of Medical Services.
- On production of a medical certificate of fitness authenticated by the Director of Medical Services, such a candidate shall be considered for re-admission only by Senate.
- A student who has withdrawn on health grounds shall retain all the grades made in the courses he has taken before his withdrawal.
- Withdrawal from the University for Disciplinary Reasons
- The Senate shall order a student to withdraw from the University on disciplinary ground such as forgery, fraud, examination misconducted, membership of secret cults etc.
- A student required to withdraw from the University for Disciplinary Reasons shall neither be issued with a transcript nor be considered for admission into any of the University’s programmes, for any job or contracts with the University.
- The particulars of such a student shall be circulated to all other Nigerians Universities.
- Unauthorized Withdrawal from the University
- A student of the University who fails to register without prior authorization from the University shall be deemed to have ceased to be a student of the University for that session.
- A student who leaves the University as in (1.5.6.1) above for more than 2 (two) session shall apply for re-admission through JAMB.
EXAMINATION MISCONDUCT
| NATURE OF OFFENCE | PENALTY | |
| 1 | Impersonation | Expulsion for both students |
| 2 | Forged receipt (s) document (s) | Expulsion |
| 3 | Unauthorized handling of exaination questions | Suspension for three (3) years Expulsion at repeat of the same offence |
| 4 | Collaborative copying | Suspension for two (2) years Expulsion at repeat of the same offence |
| 5 | Exchange of answer booklets/written materials | Suspension for two (2) years Expulsion at repeat of the same offence |
| 6 | Refusal of behaviour suspended/incriminating materials | Suspension for three (3) years Expulsion at repeat of the same offence |
| 7 | Destruction of suspended/incrimination material | Expulsion |
| 8 | Mutilation of or use of fake/false registration Number | Expulsion for three (3) years |
| 9 | Assault or fighting an invigilator | Expulsion |
| 10 | Presentation of false identity card | Suspension for three (3) years |
| 11 | Possession of unauthorized material relevant to the examination | Suspension for three (3) years |
| 12 | Smuggling of question paper out of the examination hall | Suspension for three (3) years |
| 13 | Smuggling of answer script into the examination hall | Suspension for three (3) years |
| 14 | Conviction in two more misconduct offences | Add one year for each offence up to a maximum of four (4) years, thereafter expulsion |
| 15 | Conviction in three more misconduct offences | Add one year for each offence up to a maximum of four (4) years, thereafter expulsion |
| 16 | Refusal to appear before a panel after three invitations | Expulsion |
| 17 | Refusal to sign Examination misconduct form | Suspension for one (1) year |