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EFFECT OF
MODE OF LABORATORY WORK ON SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN
BIOLOGY
Abstract
The study
investigated the effects of modes of laboratory activities on students’
achievement in biology. Three research questions and three null hypotheses
guided the study. The review of literature in the study was organized under
conceptual framework, theoretical framework and review of empirical studies. In
the conceptual framework, concept of laboratory in science teaching and
learning, organization in laboratory work, concept of academic achievement and
gender in science education were reviewed. Piaget’s cognitive constructivist
learning theory and Vygotsky’s social learning theory were reviewed under
theoretical framework. The empirical study examined studies on modes of
laboratory activities and studies on gender and students achievement in science.
A quasi-experimental design was adopted for the study, specifically, the
non-equivalent pre-test and post-test control group type. The study was carried
out in Jalingo L. G. A. of Taraba State. The sample for the study comprised of
two hundred and ten (210) students drawn from the population of study using
purposive-sampling technique. Two treatment groups were used for this study;
they are group and individual laboratory works, which were assigned to
experimental group I & II. The treatments lasted for four weeks. The
instrument for data collection in this study was a Biology Achievement Test
(BAT). Data collected from the field work questions were analyzed using mean,
standard deviation and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) to test the hypotheses
at 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed that students taught
biology using group laboratory activity performed better than their
counterparts taught using individual laboratory activity. Male students had
higher mean achievement score than their female counterparts. There was no
significant interaction effect of mode of laboratory activity and gender on
students’ mean achievement score. In line with the findings of the study, the
educational implications were highlighted and recommendations made which include
among others that biology teachers should use group laboratory activity in
teaching biology practical. Finally, the limitations of the study and
suggestions for further studies were made.
INTRODUCTION
The study
investigated the effects of modes of laboratory activities on students’
achievement in biology. Three research questions and three null hypotheses
guided the study. The review of literature in the study was organized under
conceptual framework, theoretical framework and review of empirical studies. In
the conceptual framework, concept of laboratory in science teaching and
learning, organization in laboratory work, concept of academic achievement and
gender in science education were reviewed. Piaget’s cognitive constructivist
learning theory and Vygotsky’s social learning theory were reviewed under
theoretical framework. The empirical study examined studies on modes of
laboratory activities and studies on gender and students achievement in
science. A quasi-experimental design was adopted for the study, specifically,
the non-equivalent pre-test and post-test control group type. The study was
carried out in Jalingo L. G. A. of Taraba State. The sample for the study
comprised of two hundred and ten (210) students drawn from the population of
study using purposive-sampling technique. Two treatment groups were used for
this study; they are group and individual laboratory works, which were assigned
to experimental group I & II. The treatments lasted for four weeks. The
instrument for data collection in this study was a Biology Achievement Test
(BAT). Data collected from the field work questions were analyzed using mean,
standard deviation and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) to test the hypotheses
at 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed that students taught
biology using group laboratory activity performed better than their
counterparts taught using individual laboratory activity. Male students had
higher mean achievement score than their female counterparts. There was no
significant interaction effect of mode of laboratory activity and gender on
students’ mean achievement score. In line with the findings of the study, the
educational implications were highlighted and recommendations made which
include among others that biology teachers should use group laboratory activity
in teaching biology practical. Finally, the limitations of the study and
suggestions for further studies were made.
Background
of the Study
Science is a
special type of discipline with peculiar characteristics, the prominent among
which is the approach through which knowledge is sought. This approach is known
as scientific method. Scientific method is a logical, rational and systematic
process by which knowledge in science is acquired. The steps involved in
scientific method are observation, hypotheses, predictions, experimentations,
conclusion and host of others (Ezeh, 2013). Science is both a process
(scientific method) and a product (knowledge, fact and principles) (Ezeh,
2013). Both the process and product of science are acquired through education
and this is specialized type of education such as science education. Science
plays important roles in the society because it relates to our daily life and
career. The importance of science in our society made the Federal Government of
Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Education to introduce science
subjects in the nation’s secondary school curriculum. Biology is one of such
subjects introduced.
Biology is a
branch of science that deals with the study of living things, which includes
human-beings (Michael, 2012). Biology has many branches which include; zoology,
botany, ecology, genetics, morphology, anatomy, physiology, histology,
microbiology, evolution, cell biology to mention but a few. Many societal
issues are biology-based. These include biodiversity, genetically modified
organisms, reproductive technologies, prolongation of life, food production,
tourism industry (biological gardens) and processing industries. All of these
issues have involved improvements that meet human needs and so this twentieth
century has been considered as ‘the age of biology’ (Reiss, 1998). 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; lastly reasonable and
functional scientific attitudes(Federal Ministry of Education, 2004). Despite
the importance of biology, students’ achievement in the subject from West
African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) has been poor
(Glasson, 2009). Available data on students’ performance in biology in School
Certificate revealed that on the average, more than 80 percent of students
scored below credit level in the past three years in the WASSCE; the aspects of
biology which students find difficult in WASSCE are practical questions on food
test, examples carbohydrates, proteins and fats/oils, this indicates that
students lack basic practical principles such as observation, and
interpretation of the specimens provided for the examination (WAEC Chief
Examiners Report, 2011, 2012 & 2013). Enebechi (2009) stated that some
biology teachers fail to conduct biology practical along-side every topic
treated during lessons, until a few days to examination when they will use WAEC
specimens to conduct practical for their students. Eze (2011) inferred that
practical work is a unique strategy of teaching and learning of biology because
it enables science students to observe and manipulate materials to demonstrate
certain aspects of the subject matter, which have been learnt in the class
through lectures, discussion and textbooks.
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