Effect Of Biology Practical On The Secondary School Students Academic Performance In Biology
(A Case Study Of Enugu North Local Government Area Of Enugu State)
Biology practical sessions play a significant role in enhancing the academic performance of secondary school students in biology. These hands-on experiences offer students opportunities to engage directly with biological concepts, reinforcing theoretical knowledge gained in the classroom. Through experiments, dissections, and observations, students develop a deeper understanding of biological principles and phenomena. Additionally, practical sessions foster critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and scientific inquiry, which are crucial for academic success in biology and beyond. Moreover, the interactive nature of practicals promotes student engagement and interest in the subject, leading to improved motivation and learning outcomes. Consequently, students who actively participate in biology practicals often demonstrate better performance in examinations and overall comprehension of biological concepts.
This project work was carried out to determine the effect of biology practicals on the secondary school students academic performance in biology in Enugu State (A case study of Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State).
The long held notion is that practicals offer students a more realistic experience in sciences but Hunetta (2008), reported that some educators have begun to question seriously the effectiveness and the role of laboratory work. They opined that practical method of teaching is not self-evident as it once seemed. The result obtained from the sample schools, showed that biology practicals has a positive effect on academic performance of students. In all cases that was tested, practical method of teaching biology was found to be superior to traditional theoretical methods.
Chapter one and two is the background of the study and the review of the related literature respectively. In chapter three, the research methodology and over all design of the study was presented. Chapter four, dealt with data presentation and analysis. The educational implication of the study, recommendation and summary were contained in chapter five. References and appendices were inclusive.
i TITLE PAGE
ii CERTIFICATION PAGE
iii APPROVAL PAGE
iv DEDICATION
v ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
vi ABSTRACT
vii TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY 1
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM 5
1.3 PURPOSE OF STUDY 7
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY 7
1.5 SCOE OF STUDY 8
1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 9
CHAPTER TWO:
LITERATURE REVIEW 10
2.0 INTRODUCTION 10
2.1 BIOLOGY PRACTICAL 10
2.2 BIOLOGY PRACTICAL AND EFFECTIVE TEACHING 14
2.3 BIOLOGY PRACTICAL AND EFFECTIVE LEARNING 20
2.4 BIOLOGY PRACTICALS AND ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE 23
2.5 BIOLOGY PRACTICAL AND GENDER DIFFERENCE 26
2.6 EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENT OF BIOLOGY STUDENTS 29
2.7 SUMMARY 30
CHAPTER THREE:
METHODOLOGY 33
3.0 INTRODUCTION 33
3.1 DESIGN OF THE STUDY 33
3.2 AREA OF THE STUDY 33
3.3 POPULATION OF THE STUDY 34
3.4 SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE 35
3.5 INSTRUMENT OF DATA COLLECTION 35
3.6 VALIDATION OF THE INSTRUMENT 37
3.7 RELIABILITY OF THE INSTRUMENT 37
3.8 ADMINISTRATION OF THE INSTRUMENT 38
3.9 METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS 38
3.10 DECISION RULE 38
CHAPTER FOUR:
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS 44
4.0 INTRODUCTION 44
4.1 RESEARCH QUESTION 1 44
4.2 RESEARCH QUESTION 2 45
4.3 RESEARCH QUESTION 3 46
4.4 SUMMARY 47
CHAPTER FIVE:
DISCUSSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 48
5.0 INTRODUCTION 48
5.1 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 48
5.1.1 DISCUSION OF RESEARCH QUESTION 1-3 48
5.2 EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS 51
5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS 52
5.4 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES 54
5.5 SUMMARY 54
REFERENCES 56
APPENDICES 60
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study
According to Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary (2001) “Effect” means (i) a change produced by an action or cause; a result or an outcome; (ii) an impression created in the mind of a spectator, read, etc while watching a play, listening to music or looking at a painting. Effect as used in the research topic can then be defined as a positive change produced by an action, a desirable outcome or a result.
Science is the study of the natural things around us (Modern Biology). Biology being a branch of science involves the study of living and non-living things (Sarojini, 2001) similarly, World Book Encyclopedia (1995), defined biology as the scientific study of living things. Traditionally, biology is divided into two branches viz; botany, the study of animals. Some of the usefulness of biology were cited by Sarojini (2001), as follows: it helps in (i) scientific research and development of new tools and techniques which invariably improve the quality of our lives, (ii) finding applications in medicine, dentistry, vetenary science, agriculture and horticulture; (iii) biotechnology which include fields like genetic engineering and hybridoma technology (i) dealing with ecological problems such as over population, food shortage, erosion, pollution, disease etc. Practical biology is the scientific study of the life and structure of plants and animals and their relative environments in real or experimental set-up rather than dwelling in the theory and ideas (Opuh, Eze and Eze Magu; 2008). On its preamble to the international senior secondary school certificate examination syllabus; West African Examination Council WAEC (1998-2003), buttresses the need for biology practical in teaching and learning of biology in the secondary schools. The syllabus was designed to assess candidates in;
i. Understanding of the structure and function of living organisms as well as appreciation of nature.
ii. Acquisition of adequate laboratory and filed skills in order to carry out and evaluate experiments and projects in biology.
iii. Acquisition of necessary scientific skills. Example observing, classifying and interpreting biological data etc. In previous edition WAEC Syllabus (1985), stated that great importance should be attached to experimental work and use of control experiments. It was recommended that, whenever possible through out the whole courses, candidates should be aware of practical application of what is being studied.
From the foregoing, we can understand that biology practical lesson is most essential for effective teaching and learning of biology in secondary schools.
According to Oxford Dictionary (2000), “Effective” in the context of the research topic means; having desired effect or producing the intended result. Whereas, Akinpelu in Aguokogbuo (2002) defined teaching as a deliberate effort by a matured or experienced person to impact information, knowledge, skills and so on to immature or less experienced person. Consequently, National Teachers Institute NTI (2000) course book on education, defined learning as the acquisition of new knowledge, ideas, skills, value and experience which enable the individual to modify or alter his actions. It also involves the utilization of newly acquired knowledge or experience as well. It further stated that learning brings about permanent change in the learner.
The National Policy on Education (2004) defined secondary education, as the education children receive after primary education and before the tertiary stage. According to Post Primary School Management Board (PPSMB) statistical records PRS (2009). There are nine government secondary schools in Enugu North Local Government Area.
Enugu North Local Government Area, is in Enugu East Senatorial District of Enugu State, Nigeria. The area is predominantly an urban settlement with a few rural communities. Some of the community in Enugu North L.G.A include Enugu Ngwo, Iva-Valley, Coal-Camp, G.R.A, Independent Layout, Ogui and Asata.
1.2 Statement of Problem
According to Nnamonu (2003), students perform poorly in biology practicals leading to their failure in biology examinations. Similarly WAEC Chief Examiners (1993) reported that performances of candidate in biology fell below expectation. The report discussed the candidate’s weaknesses under the following sub-headings:
i. Poor spelling’
ii. Poor mathematical skills,
iii. Poor deduction reasoning;
iv. Poor observation
v. Misinterpretation of question and
vi. Poor knowledge of biology.
The examiners lamented that “there were many candidates who could not answer correctly a single question in section A. In most cases, they have wild guesses and quite unrelated answer that were sometimes unbiological.
Basical on the academic performance Obidiwe (1992) stated that the objectives of practical biology are not being realized to a satisfactory extent. He pointed out that the poor academic performance were caused by; lack of well-equipped laboratory, lack of qualified science teachers, limited time table hours, poor observation, poor drawing and labeling, poor comparism of specimens, etc. This poor state of affairs is disturbing.
This study therefore intends to examine the effect of biology practical in effective academic performance of students in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State. Specifically, one would like to ask, what effect has biology practicals on academic performance of
i. Senior secondary school students?
ii. Female biology students?
iii. Male biology students?
iv. Students from urban area?
v. Students from rural area?
1.3 Purpose of the Study
Based on the background and problems of this study, the main purpose underlying the project is to investigate the effects of practical biology on the effective teaching and learning of biology in senior secondary schools in Enugu North Local Government Area. The study specifically seeks to determine the effects of biology practicals on students achievement in biology examination. We believe that the result of the research will be of significance with the reforms in Biology education.
1.4 Significance of the Study
The practical activities in biology are designed to help students acquire basic scientific skills and improve their performance and achievement as well. The study tends to uncover the benefits of practical biology to the students, parents, teachers, government and the entire society.
If the result of this research is properly utilized, it will:
1. Promote the ideas that science is both a product and process in students by arousing their interest in practical work;
2. Motivate the parents to provide basic requirements of practical lessons for their children;
3. Convince the biology teachers that practical lessons are mostly essential for effective teaching and learning of biology.
4. Make the government, through the ministry of education to realize the need for provision of science equipment to schools and posting of qualified biology teachers to secondary schools, it is not the issue of lack of trades master of non teaching has attained professionalism and specialization;
5. Help the Nigerian society in their quest for improved technology and industrialization.
1.5 Scope of the Study
The study is targeted on the senior secondary schools in Enugu North Local Government Area Enugu State. The scope is also delimited on SSII biology students and the following contents of SSII biology scheme of work. Digestive, reproductive and respiratory system is animals.
1.6 Research Questions
The following questions were formulated to guide the study:
i. What effect has biology practicals on academic performance of senior secondary school biology students?
ii. What effect has biology practicals on academic performance of female students?
iii. What effect has biology practicals on academic performance of students from urban areas?
Effect Of Biology Practical On The Secondary School Students Academic Performance In Biology:
Biology practicals in secondary school play a crucial role in enhancing students’ understanding of the subject and can have a positive impact on their academic performance. Here are some of the effects that biology practicals can have on secondary school students’ academic performance in biology:
- Hands-on Learning: Biology practicals provide students with the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning experiences. This tactile approach can make complex biological concepts more tangible and easier to understand. Students can directly observe and manipulate specimens, equipment, and experiments, which can lead to deeper comprehension.
- Concept Reinforcement: Practical sessions allow students to see real-life examples of the theoretical concepts they learn in class. This reinforcement helps solidify their understanding of the subject matter and bridge the gap between theory and application.
- Critical Thinking: During practical sessions, students are often required to make observations, collect data, analyze results, and draw conclusions. These activities encourage critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are valuable not only in biology but also in other aspects of academic and professional life.
- Retention of Knowledge: Active participation in practical experiments can enhance knowledge retention. Students are more likely to remember information and concepts they have personally experienced and explored, leading to better performance in exams and assessments.
- Interest and Engagement: Practical sessions can make biology more interesting and engaging for students. The hands-on nature of experiments can spark curiosity and enthusiasm, motivating students to delve deeper into the subject and explore further on their own.
- Application of Theoretical Knowledge: Practical experiments allow students to apply theoretical knowledge acquired in the classroom to real-world scenarios. This application-oriented approach fosters a deeper understanding of how biological concepts function in practical situations.
- Skill Development: Biology practicals often involve skills such as microscopy, data collection, analysis, and laboratory techniques. Developing these skills at the secondary school level can lay the foundation for future studies and careers in science-related fields.
- Teamwork and Communication: Collaborative experiments promote teamwork and communication skills. Students learn how to work effectively with their peers, share responsibilities, and discuss their observations and findings.
- Boost in Confidence: Successfully conducting experiments and obtaining meaningful results can boost students’ confidence in their abilities. This confidence can translate into increased participation and a positive attitude toward learning biology.
- Preparation for Higher Education: Many students who pursue biology in higher education, such as in college or university, will encounter more advanced laboratory work. Exposure to practical experiments in secondary school prepares them for the rigors of laboratory work at a higher academic level.
It’s important to note that the effectiveness of biology practicals in improving academic performance can also be influenced by factors such as the quality of laboratory equipment, teacher guidance, the relevance of experiments to the curriculum, and the overall classroom environment. When implemented thoughtfully, biology practicals can contribute significantly to students’ understanding of the subject and their overall academic success in biology.