This study investigates the problems
confronting the teaching and learning of Biology in selected senior secondary
schools in Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Biology,
being a core science subject, plays a vital role in equipping students with
knowledge about living organisms and their interaction with the environment.
Despite its importance, the subject faces significant challenges that hinder its
effective teaching and learning. The study adopted a descriptive survey design
and involved a total of 200 respondents comprising Biology teachers and
students from five selected secondary schools. A structured questionnaire was
used as the primary instrument for data collection. Findings revealed that key
challenges include lack of qualified Biology teachers, inadequate instructional
materials, poorly equipped or absent laboratories, large class sizes, and poor
teaching methodologies. Other factors identified include lack of funding, low
student motivation, and insufficient teacher training and development. The
study also discovered that teacher qualifications, attitudes, and the use of
instructional materials significantly influence students' academic performance
in Biology. Based on these findings, the study recommends that government and
school administrators should provide adequate funding, employ qualified Biology
teachers, and ensure that schools are equipped with necessary laboratory
facilities and instructional materials. Teachers are also encouraged to adopt
student-centered teaching methods and participate in regular professional
development programs. The study concludes that addressing these challenges is
critical to improving the quality of Biology education and overall science
literacy among students. Further research was suggested to explore innovative
strategies that can enhance students’ interest and performance in Biology.
Biology, as a branch of
science, plays a crucial role in understanding life and natural phenomena. It
provides essential knowledge and skills necessary for scientific inquiry and
practical applications in various fields such as medicine, environmental
science, and biotechnology. Biology education aims to impart fundamental
concepts, promote critical thinking, and develop problem-solving skills among
students. However, the effective teaching and learning of Biology face numerous
challenges, particularly in secondary schools. These challenges include
inadequate teaching materials, lack of qualified teachers, and insufficient
laboratory facilities. This study seeks to explore the problems confronting the
teaching and learning of Biology in selected secondary schools, with the aim of
identifying solutions that can enhance educational outcomes.
Biology as a discipline provides students
with knowledge of living organisms and their interactions with the environment.
The study of Biology is essential in various scientific and professional
fields, including medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. However, over the
years, the teaching and learning of Biology in secondary schools have been
faced with several challenges that hinder effective understanding and
application of biological concepts. Factors such as inadequate laboratory
equipment, insufficient instructional materials, and lack of trained Biology
teachers contribute significantly to students’ poor performance in the subject.
Additionally, large class sizes and limited government support further
exacerbate the problem, making it difficult for students to gain practical
experience. This study aims to identify these challenges and propose practical
solutions to improve Biology education in secondary schools.
Biology
is the study of natural phenomena and environment which results from curiosity
of man (Nlewem, 2022). Biology is also a branch of science which has been
structured to equip the students with the knowledge of relevant concepts and
scientific skills (Adepoju (2016). Biology is all the knowledge of living
things that has come to us from the past. It is therefore the science of life.
Biology education is the act of teaching and learning in order to inculcate or
transfer the knowledge of Biology to the student (Okenyi, 2022). Educating
people in science especially Biology has been widely acknowledged as a way of
promoting economic development, eliminating poverty and introducing social
welfare (Nwagbo, 2015).
Over
the years, Science Education in Nigeria has faced various problems. The school
curriculum offers a child-centered teaching-learning approach as students are
encouraged to take up the science related subjects including biology, which
occupies a unique position in the school curriculum and is central to many
Science related courses (Aina 2022). In Nigeria, the inclusion of science
subjects in the school curriculum is to promote national development as the
nation adopts more science oriented policies and programmes in education
(Oriahi et al., 2021).
The term Biology is derived from
two Greek words “bios” and “logos” which mean life and study respectively.
Biology therefore means the study of life or study of living things, Biology as
a science is defined as a scientific study of living organisms.
In summary, problem of teaching of
Biology in Akwanga local government area Government Area could be due to the
several reasons such as classroom management, communication, teachers
qualification, supply of Biology equipment, teachers personality, negligence of
seminars, and workshop by the teachers of Biology, inadequate illustration and
practical aspect of Biology is another factors, infrastructural facilities and
absences of laboratories etc.
1.
Many secondary school students find Biology difficult and
tend to drop the subject, leading to poor performance in WAEC and other
examinations.
2.
Some students are eager to learn but are discouraged due to
insufficient laboratory facilities
or the attitude of their teachers.
3.
Some secondary schools lack Biology laboratories, while others have poorly equipped laboratories, limiting
practical learning.
4.
The absence of
trained laboratory personnel further hinders the effective use of
available laboratory facilities.
5.
Large class sizes make classroom management and individualized attention challenging for
teachers.
The aim of the study is to find out
some Problems of teaching and learning Biology in some selected Senior
Secondary Schools in Akwanga local government area.
The study aims
at;
1.
To
determine the Problems confronting teaching and learning of Biology in Akwanga local
government area of Nasarawa State.
2.
To determine if teachers’ attitude towards
the teaching and learning of Biology affect students’ performance.
3.
To find out if teacher qualification affect
the teaching and learning of Biology?
4.
To determine if the use of instructional
materials affect students’ academic performance in Biology
The following research questions were formulated
for the study
1
What are the Problems confronting effective
teaching and learning of Biology in
Akwanga local government area?
2
Does teachers’ attitude towards the teaching and
learning of Biology affect students’ performance?
3
To what extent does teacher qualification
affect the teaching and learning of Biology?
4
Does the use of instructional materials
affect students’ academic performance in Biology?
The
following null hypothesis would be tested at 0.05 level of significance
1.
Problems
encounter in teaching Biology does have significant different in teaching
Biology
2.
Teachers
attitude does not have significant different in teaching and learning Biology
3.
Teachers
qualification does not have significant effect on the teaching and learning
of Biology
This research
will be beneficial to:
1. Teachers: The result of this research will
enable teachers to use different teaching methods in teaching Biology
2. The result
of this study will enable educational supervisors (government officials) to
check the activities of schools and show that qualified teachers are used.
3. To provide
adequate information in the availability of the scientific specific Biology
equipment in senior secondary schools in Akwanga Local Government Area.
The study is
aimed at investigating the problems confronting effective teaching Biology in
secondary schools in Akwanga local government area. Five selected secondary
schools were randomly selected in the study area.
This
study focuses on selected Senior Secondary Schools in Akwanga Local Government
Area, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other regions.
Additionally, challenges such as time constraints, limited availability of
relevant literature, and difficulty in accessing respondents may affect the
depth of the study. Financial constraints could also impact data collection and
analysis. Despite these limitations, the study aims to provide valuable
insights into the challenges facing Biology education and suggest practical
solutions to improve teaching and learning outcomes.
Biology: Biology is the study of life and living
things. It is also a natural science concerned with the study of life and
living organisms including their structure, function, growth, evolution
distribution and taxonomy.
Effective teaching: is a process by which a teacher
adopts all the possible skills or method used in teaching in the classroom to
make sure that students understand the lesson and be able to respond positively
during evaluation and produce a good result.
Senior secondary school: This is a period of study from senior
secondary school one to senior secondary school three.
Teaching: is a deliberate effort by a mature or
experienced person to impart information, knowledge, values skills, norms
(standard behavior) more (moral values) attitude language and so on to an
immature or less experienced person through the process that is morally and
pedagogically acceptable.
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