Perception, Awareness, and Attitude of Prospective UTME Candidates Towards Integrated Science Degree Programme in Taraba State

Abstract

The study investigated the perception, awareness and attitude of prospective UTME candidates towards Integrated Science degree programme in Taraba State. Three research questions guided the study. The study adopted a survey research design. The population of the study was all the 16,686 candidates who sat for the UTME 2023 in Taraba State. A sample of 390 candidates was randomly selected across ten JAMB CBT centres in Taraba State. The sample size was determined using Taro Yamane’s formula. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire tagged: Perception, Awareness and Attitude of UTME Candidates Towards Integrated Science Degree Programme Questionnaire. The data collected were analysed using mean, frequency count and percentage in answering the research questions. The result revealed that UTME candidates in Taraba State have a wrong perception of Integrated Science degree programme as the candidates perceived the course to be meant for students who are not able to study Biology, Chemistry or Physics at the university level. UTME candidates also have the wrong perception that Integrated Science is too difficult and that studying Integrated Science as a teaching course will limit them to teaching only at the junior secondary school. The finding also indicated that UTME candidates in Taraba State has low level of awareness of Integrated Science degree programme as 71.5% of UTME candidates in Taraba State are not aware of availability of Integrated Science degree programme in universities and that 100% of the UTME candidates did not choose Integrated Science as a course of study in the University. The findings further revealed
that UTME candidates in Taraba State have negative attitude towards Integrated Science degree programme in universities. Based on the result, it was recommended that Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and Ministry of Education should create awareness among prospective UTME candidates on the availability of Integrated Science degree programme and other important courses in universities and that Integrated Science curriculum should be expanded to cover the senior secondary school level such that instead of arts and social science students choosing one compulsory science subject at the senior secondary school level, they will be offering Integrated Science which will provide them with a broader basic scientific knowledge that they need in their day to day life activities.