Low research interest among science students in Nigeria universities: Causes, effects and solutions.
It is often said that an individual would always write and address an issue based on the socio-cultural environment which he was brought up. However, I want to specifically say that there is no better time to express my views on:* Low research interest among science students in Nigerian universities: Causes, effects and solutions, than now that the general populace of the Nigerian universities have one major issues with research interest amongst it's students that has further depleted the number and quality of professors that would have emerged from the sciences, which would have further driven better research in our universities as well as promote the linking of industries and research institute for the betterment of the economy of the country as the giant of Africa.
Nigeria as a great nation is endowed with lots of intellectual individuals that has excelled against all odds in their chosen careers, in spite of the drought of research interest among the university populace of its science students. There seem to be this major threat among the generation of Science students we find ourselves, that if not properly dealt with from the root cause, will spell doom for the next generation of science students to emerge from our tertiary institutions of learning.
To start with, Low research interest amongst science students of our universities in Nigeria could be attributed to our method of teaching. Which emphasises more on theory. its been a fundamental defect that is observable right from the primary school where more emphasis has been on Theory and all it represents with little or no practicals as can be noticed among our public tertiary universities in Nigeria.
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There have always been less emphasis on practical demonstration which has gone further to hamper the desire and growth for research attitudes amongst our university science students.
Research attitude ought to be built from the cradle, so as to drive the desire to work more on researches and better the environment we find ourselves and the country at large, but this has been on the contrary in the major worst case scenario of our public universities in Nigeria.
Lack of adequate equipment, research materials and up to date state of the art facilities is also a factor, thus, students have not been able to develop their curiosity in the field of science. When the equipment are lacking, or the available equipment is not able to carry the population of students and barely up to date, there is bound to be a shift from the paradigm, where students interest in science disciplines will wane as time goes on which as given birth more to the breeds of "We read to pass exams".
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In most cases, the equipments available are not up to date with what is obtainable from world class institutions where practical equipments of the late 50's and 90's are used in the 21st century where practical equipments have undergone serious upgrades for optimal success of practical Operations.
Some schools provide facilities to help students learning and research spirit. WiFi, internet enabled devices and the likes. Take for example, Covenant university here in Nigeria gives every student a tab throughout their stay in the school plus 10gigabite subscription for a month which is renewed or rolled over at the end of every month. Unilag Gtbank branch provides free WiFi connection for students for 1hour every day per student regardless of when you login to the Wi-Fi.
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Also Technological decline in science students research attitudes can be attributed to the fact that they have not fully learn how to utilise Google and the internet for research purposes. They don't know the proper keyword for their research topic and as such, they easily get confused when using the internet.
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Low interest in research also boils down to the quality of teachers available. How many competent hands do we really have in amongst science teachers and lecturers that gives qualitative lectures to students of sciences in our tertiary institutions? Not a scenario where they come and just read out notes and expect their interest in research to be at par with what is obtainable globally. Quality of teachers, instructors matters alot at driving the desire for deep seated research desires among our science students populace.
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Another effect is Improper orientation and mentoring on the benefits of research. Where there is no ground knowledge and proper enlightenment on the benefits of research, abuse is inevitable.
Effects poor or low research has on university science students are stated below;
The effect is that we continue to churn out graduates with low edge in the global competitive labour market.
This also leads to decline or tendency to decline participating in any research program in the school.* Know that once there are no research materials or sources, there is no research.
Furthermore effects are- inability to match up to the standards of other science students abroad and all over the world that are curious about research and daily mobilising tools and collaborations with research institute so as to further hone their research skills to the Betterment of sciences.
Another effect is the Loss of interest in the reason for being science students. This is a phenomena where the zeal to remain in the sciences and give in one's best is curtailed to the barest minimum or absolutely lost.
To add to that, The phenomena of any course given, I take is predominant when research is not genuinely driven in our universities.
Solutions to low research among Nigerian science students are stated below;
Obvious solution is to change our approach to teaching science. There might be a need to revamp our science syllabus. it should be taught from the cradle with research being the sole foundation of it.
For research to be paramount. Apparatus ought to be adequately in place.
There should be More investment in science subjects and equipments so as to enable students leverage on the availability of resources to go more for research, which in turn will produce more qualitative and quantitative intellectuals that will form a base of our intellectual properties.
There should be adequate investment in productive research and development and linkage of research institutions with appropriate industries. Encouraging through promotions, scholarships and incentives for students that embraces research in sciences.
We are left to wonder why Nigerians Excel abroad but way back home, their success is either curtailed, and it's been made obvious by the underlying reasons given in this write up which is partly motivated by @surpassinggoogle