Investigating the Adequacy of Textual Materials Used in Teaching Science in Nigeria Secondary Schools for Conceptual Understanding with the New Physics and Chemistry Curriculum in View

This study investigated the adequacy of physics and chemistry textbooks used in Senior Secondary
Schools in Nigeria using Owerri municipal as case study. Five research questions guided the study.
The sampled textual materials were the three recommended physics and chemistry textbooks. Twenty
six physics teachers and thirty chemistry teachers from ten public secondary schools in Owerri
municipal, Imo State were used.
The evaluation of these text books were carried out using the modified form of 8 – point quantitative
approach to content evaluation of science text books (QACEST) and teacher’s perception rating
scales (TPRS). The modified form of the 8 – point QACEST was used to answer research questions 1
to 4 while research question 5 was answered using teacher’s perception rating scale.
The result revealed that while all the text books were adequate in terms of content and study
questions inadequacies exist in some of the texts in the areas of learning activities, illustrations and
teacher’s perception. This simply implies that no single text books have completely met the
requirements of the new physics curriculum and chemistry curriculum while comprehensive chemistry
could serve as good as support to other textbooks. However, teachers should not adhere to a
particular text book but rather should expose their students to a variety of text books depending on the
goal or aim of the lessons.