Students’ Perception of Biology Classroom Environment on Their Academic Achievement in Senior Secondary Schools
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
- To assess the availability of laboratory facilities in senior secondary schools in Shomolu Local Government Area, Lagos .
- To assess the use of laboratories in senior secondary schools in Shomolu Local Government Area, Lagos.
- To explore science student’s’ perceptions on effects of availability or non-availability of laboratories on students’ performance.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
CONCEPT OF BIOLOGY
Biology is one of the fields in the natural sciences that studies living things. The word ‘Biology’ is come from Greek words; Bios meaning life, and logy (logia) which means study (Ezemoka, 2011). Thus the concept of biology is concerned with the study of life. Miller and Levine (2012) state that biology in addition, is the study of life, structure, function, growth, origin, evolutions distributions, interrelationships, problems such as diseases, and adaptation of things and proposes solutions where possible. However biology is the branch of science that studies life using inquiry methods and discoveries.
Inquiry process involves asking question that stimulate students to think critically which enables students to develop scientific knowledge and scientific habit such as curiosity, creativity, and open minded etc that is needed for understanding biological concepts. Biology as science of life provide potentials for the use of many inquiry method. Abugu (2007) stated that biology is natural science in which we study living organisms plants and animals. The knowledge of biology helps in checking environmental degradation such as desertification, erosion, water hyacinth, land, air and water pollution.
The cardinal objectives of biology education are to prepare students to acquire: adequate laboratory and field skills in biology; meaningful and relevant knowledge in biology, ability to apply scientific knowledge to everyday life in matter of personal and community health and agriculture and lastly reasonable and functional scientific attitudes (Federal Ministry of Education 2004). The study of biology in senior secondary school can equip students with useful concept principles and theories that will enable them face the challenges before and after graduation. Practical biology is the scientific study of the life and structure of plant and animals and their relative environment in real or experimental set-up rather than dwelling in the theory and ideas (Opuh, Eze, & Eze Magu, 2008).
Biology Practical Teaching
Biology practical teaching are important in order to understand biology concepts. If science education aims to enhance the understanding of the natural world by students and how it functions, then the students have to experience and observe the relevant of science phenomena. Recent studies advocate for a change in teaching methods so that students participate fully and understand different science concepts (Miller, 2010). Students shouls understand processes and structure; develop skills in manipulation, processing of science information and conducting scientific investigations. Hence, the teaching methods such as learners design, reciprocal, inclusion, divergent and self-check could enhance the teaching of Biology practical lessons (Capel, Least & Turner 2009).
A study conducted by Obiekwe and Chinwe (2015) in Nigeria on the teaching of biological concepts using the 5E (Egagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration and Evaluation) model revealed that student who were exposed to the 5E method achieve better results than those whose teacher use the lecture method. Some teacher laid too much emphasis on content and the use of “chalk and talk approach which does not enhance the teaching and learning of biology. This slackness and shy-away attitude from activity based-approach of instructional delivery has led to abstraction, which makes the students passive and more inclined to role memorization (obiekwe & Chinwe, 2012). Such teacher-centered method that put the students as passive recipients of knowledge and the teacher as the only source of knowledge might not improved achievement towards biology practical lessons (Nwagbo 2006).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Approach
The study employed the quantitative research approach. The study was quantitative research approach, based on measurement of quantities, quantity of apparatus available, quantity of chemicals, quantity of teaching model, frequency of practical work, scores in biology, total number of biology students, total number of laboratories, among others. The qualitative approach, on the other hand, will be used to collect students’ opinions, and elaborate information on availability and use of laboratories.
Research Design
The design refers to the conceptual plans which convey the approaches and strategies of exploration which was used by a researcher in the process of collecting data. The research design provides structure to the research and shows all the parts of the research work together to address the central question. In this study the research design that was used is descriptive survey design. Frankel and Wallen (2000) contend that descriptive survey design gives the description of the state of the events as they exist and provide opportunity to employ qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The descriptive research design was chosen in this study in order to produce rich and strong description and understanding of the availability and use of laboratories in the CSS.
Study Area
The study was carried out in Shomolu Local Government Area, Lagos Nigeria. This study area was selected because the community secondary schools could not perform well in biology as they seemed to be affected by absence of laboratories. Shomolu Local Government Area was particularly selected as all its secondary schools except one, are community secondary schools established after 2004.
Target Population
A target population refers to a group of individuals, objects or items from which samples are taken for measurement (Kombo & Tromp, 2006). Omari (2011) further defines a population as the totality of any group of units which have one or more characteristics in common that are of interest to the researcher. In this study, the population included heads of schools, head biology teachers and students.
The Sample of the Study
A sample is a small proportion of a population selected for observation and analysis (Omari, 2011). Samples are always subsets or small parts of total number that could be studied (Kombo & Tromp, 2006). Sample in this study included six Community Secondary Schools as shown in Table 3.1, where the heads of schools and biology students were selected from these schools.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION
Availability of Laboratories in Community Secondary Schools
The first research objective was devised to assess the availability of laboratories in CSS. For effective biology practice, secondary schools are supposed to have physical resources including well equipped laboratories. The purpose of this objective was to obtain data on availability of laboratories and facilities such as apparatus, chemicals, models and specimen in relation to performance in national examinations on biology.
Laboratories Prescription by the Ministry of Education
A Laboratory is a special room or building that are designed and used for scientific experiments. Laboratories have special tools and equipment called apparatus. Cabinets and drawers should be included in the design of a laboratory so as to be used for storing apparatuses. Laboratories are usually supplied with water, a source of heat and electricity. Laboratory floors should not be polished as this will make them slippery, an adequately equipped First Aid kit should be in every laboratory and Fire extinguishers should be fitted in accessible position. It must also be well illuminated and ventilated (MoEVT, 2010a).Data on availability of laboratories in the six sampled schools were obtained through observation. Findings showed that in all sampled community secondary schools, no laboratory room was available. Instead, there were modified classrooms which were transformed to serve laboratory purposes. Table 4.1 shows the availability of laboratories in sampled schools against the government directives.
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATION AND SUMMARY
Discussion of the Study
From the finding, practical activities influence student academic achievement on biology in senior secondary school in Shomolu L.G.A. This is in agreement with that of Kiladare and okoro(2007) who established that student understands better when they involves themselves in practical experiment, thus matching theory with practical. This also affirmed that fact for an effective teaching to take place, the theoretical aspect must go inline with the practical aspect so as to attain a positive behavioral change in the life of the learner(s). Students understand well when they are been taught with practical. Biology practical helps to make abstract ideas more concrete for learners, such that basic concepts could be understood. The use of practical work in teaching biology and other subjects make learning interesting and fun, keeping the student active, create a conductive atmosphere for a participation class during teaching, making students to discover facts and new ideas by themselves. The finding revealed that despite the importance of the use of practical work in the teaching and learning of biology in senior secondary schools in Shomolu. There are some problems that are still militating against it the problems are teachers incompetency in the use of laboratory equipment, student wrong attitudes towards biology practical, inadequate supply of biology equipment and poor method of teaching in senior secondary school.
From the finding biology teachers are still unable to prepare and design a robust practical or experiment for the biology lesson. Biology teachers should proficient on how to plan better steps. According to Erin and Alicia (2009) designing learning instructions, setting goals and structuring teaching steps are important; the study shows that teachers are still inefficient in handling laboratory equipment and could not manage a systematic and effective experiment.
From the finding the word gender does not mean that there are clear difference between female and male on academic achieved in biology. If there are difference, they are based on hierarchical structures within the culture of what is suitable for male and female respectively.
Considering the findings of different people, it is clear that there is not yet a consensus as to whether gender influences academic achievement in biology.
Conclusions
The conclusion of the research were as follows:
- Influence of biology practical activities increase student academic achievement in biology in Shomolu Local Government Area of Lagos State.
- Teachers incompetence in the use of laboratory equipment negatively affect students achievement in biology.
- The wrong attitude of students towards biology practical influence them in a negative way within the area.
- Influence of gender on academic achievement of student in biology.
Implication of the Study
The finding of this study have some educational implications for students, teacher and government. Active participation of the students in the class and retention makes the lesson more meaningful. This is because as the student participate and manipulate equipment/materials, they apply their five senses and other skills to their lessons more than when they would have learned in abstraction or remained less active in class.
The finding of this study have implications on the students who should adopt practical activity method of teaching which is the student centered method. Students learn better when they are involved in the laboratory activity. Activity-based methods enhance understanding of biological concepts and increase the ability to acquire scientific skills by the learners.
Furthermore, the finding of the study showed that there is no clear different between female and male on academic achievement in biology. The implication of this finding is that most instructional approach used in teaching biology does not take care of gender difference in student. Therefore gender has to be considered during instructional delivery so that both male and female students will have equal opportunity to learn.
The finding of this study also have implication on the curriculum planners who are expected to plan for conceptual change over period of years. This is because learning involves the restructuring of prior knowledge to gain new ones for effective learning to take place. Therefore, since the use of practical activities enhances students’ high performance in biology, it follows that curriculum planners can create the awareness of this method in teachers by including it in the biology curricula. Also they should include within the existing subjects contents of the biology curriculum, some corresponding indigenous knowledge. They can do this by re-examining existing units of the subject matter taught in schools and identifying their corresponding indigenous knowledge and instructional materials. This will make the teaching of biology interesting and more meaningful.
Recommendation of the Study
Based on the finding, the following recommendations were made:
- Teachers should encourage students to develops interest in practical activities by engaging them in practical and providing instructional materials that will challenge them to be actively involved during practical lessons.
- Ministry of Education and professional organization like STAN should organize workshops, seminars and conferences for biology teacher.
- Biology concepts should be taught with practical activities so that the students will do science instead of learning about science.
- the government/ministry of education should provide more adequate qualified competent biology teachers to all the public secondary schools in Shomolu local government area.
- The government should provide fund for schools so as to enable them procure the relevant resources for effective teaching and learning of biology in all the public secondary school in Shomolu local Government Area.
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