CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

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, and 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, and 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). Therefore due to the poor performance of

students in Biology, a study is on assessing practical activities in Biology and its influence on

student’s achievement is undergone.

Practical activities are investigations that are carried out in the laboratory or field which

provide students the opportunities of becoming more knowledgeable with science practical

skills, which includes observation, identification, classifying, hypothesizing, predicting,

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measuring and experimenting. Nzewi (2008) asserted that practical activities can be regarded

as a strategy that could be adopted to make the task of teaching more real to the students as

opposed to abstract or theoretical presentation of facts, principles and concepts of subject

matters.

Nzewi (2008) further maintained that practical activities should engage the students in hands-

on and minds-on activities, using varieties of instructional materials/equipment to drive the

lesson home. Practical activities have played a special and central role in science education

for a long time, and science educators believe that engaging students in practical activities

has many benefits: they stimulate creativity, curiosity and critical thinking, promote students’

engagement with the scientific methods and encourage active learning and problem-solving

approach. Practical activities also provide opportunities to collect and analyze data and apply

mathematical knowledge to support and illustrate concepts, facts and principles (Garnett,

2005; Lunetta, 2008). Laboratory practical works provide a way not only for developing

varieties of different practical skills but also developing favourable attitudes, interest,

pleasure, enthusiasm, imitation, imagination and cooperation among students (Nworgu,

2009).

The knowledge of biology as a subject by secondary school students makes them well

informed and motivated to assume roles in which the practical and theoretical aspects are

used in unraveling some basic problems of life (Ude, 2011). But biology curriculum contains

a lot of abstract concepts like photosynthesis, osmoregulation, genetics and osmosis. These

causes frequent problems in conceptual instruction in biology lessons. The Chief Examiners’

Report of WAEC and NECO 2013, 2014 and 2015 indicate poor performance of students in

the sciences, biology inclusive. This calls for urgent attention if we are to meet up with the

challenging and rapidly growing wealth of scientific knowledge and sustainable development

goals (SDG). There is urgent need for innovations in our method of instruction. There should

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be a renewal of biology curriculum which will base on constructivist learning approach.

Constructivism argued that knowledge can be obtained by individuals’ active interaction and

meaning can be formed based upon their experiences (Ibe, 2004). Students should therefore

set up work and observe the concepts in biology lessons on their own through practical

activities in the laboratory. Students tend to understand better when they have practical

experiences, when they are involved in experiments; they tend to understand better and come

to develop interest in biology as a course (Watts, 2013).

Sam (2009) asserted that practical activities can be regarded as a strategy that could be

adopted to make the task of a teacher (teaching) more real to the students as opposed to

abstract or theoretical presentation of facts, principles and concepts of subject matter using

varieties of instructional materials/equipment to drive lesson home. The use of practical

activities (approach) to the teaching of biology should be compulsory for biology teachers so

as to produce students who can acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and scientific

competence needed to meet the scientific and technological demands of the society. Nzewi

(2008) and Aina (2012) observed that the laboratory is an indispensable organ of the school if

effective teaching and learning of science subjects are to be achieved and laboratory is a

room or building or a special period of time equipped and set apart for practical or

experimental studies to take place”. Ude and Onah (2017) said, ‘it is an instructional facility

used by the teacher to help students learn about science and how scientists investigate the

world around them. It provides learners with opportunities to design and execute

investigation, engage in scientific reasoning, manipulate equipment, generate record and

analyze data and then discuss results. This implies that science teaching and learning cannot

be completely done in a secondary school where there is no equipped laboratory. This is the

problem with government schools in rural areas. Practical activities help learners to

understand more because the way human nature is, things done by self is difficult to be

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forgotten because the picture of the incident is always registered in the brain. It is for the

above reasons that the researcher decided to investigate the effect of practical activities in the

teaching of Biology and its influence on students’ achievement in senior secondary schools in

Esan North East local government area of Edo state.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The incorporation of Biology practical activities has been identified as the foundation of a

good scientific programme which allows students in the school to have experience which are

consistent with the goals of scientific literacy. Practical biology constitutes a major part in

Biology education and when not taught properly, the education of students in other sciences

might be affected negatively. Hence practical activities are very important for biology

education but some obstacles like unavailability of science teachers in schools, lack of

materials, lack of funds, inadequacy of instructional material such as laboratories, chemicals,

models, apparatus, local specimens, shortage of textbooks and time militate against its

effective and efficient use in senior secondary schools in Esan North East Local Government

Area of Edo State. Lack of allocated time for biology practical time and irregularity of

carrying out practical biology by teachers may also have influence on senior secondary

school students’ achievement in the district under consideration.

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to assess practical activities in the teaching of Biology and its

influence on students’ achievement in senior secondary schools in Esan North East local

government area of Edo state.

The specific objectives are to:

a) to determine the factors affecting practical activities in Biology,

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 b) to determine the influence of biology practical activities on secondary school students

achievement,

c) to determine the difference in academic achievement between students taught using

practical method and those taught using theory,

d) to determine the extent to which practical activities in biology affects male and female

students’ academic achievement, and,

e) to proffer possible solutions to the problems.

1.4 Research Questions

The study was guided by the following questions:

a) What are the factors affecting practical activities in Biology?

b) What is the influence of biology practical activities on senior secondary school

student’s achievement?

c) What is the difference in achievement between student taught using practical method

and those taught using theory?

d) What is the extent to which practical activities in biology affects male and female

student academic achievement?

e) What are the possible solutions to the problems?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The findings of this study would be of immense benefit to the students, teachers, parents,

curriculum planners, federal government and the nation or general public at large. The

findings of this study would help the students acquire basic scientific skills and improve their

performance and achievement as well. It would equally help the students to be equipped to

secure admission in Science related fields in employment and this would in no small

measure, make them contribute more meaningfully to the development of the society. The

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study would enable students to see the need for developing his or her own creative thinking

and their own manipulative skill or ability.

The findings of this study would provide a basis for decision making among teachers on the

effective teaching methods to be adopted in Nigerian educational system to make science

teaching more meaningful and interesting to the students. Also it would enable biology

teachers to adjust their teaching patterns and emphasize practical activities and recognize

students’ ownership of ideas which would be negotiated in the classroom. It will be an eye

opener to the teachers on their actual role in teaching and learning which is facilitating,

directing and guiding students in taking an active role or participation.

The study would also motivate the parents to provide basic requirements for practical lessons

for their children. This research findings would help the curriculum planners to plan the

biology curriculum is such a way that the contents would be filled with activities which

teachers and students would do together. It is expected that by involving students in practical

activities (laboratory activities), they would not only learn science concepts, but would also

acquire science process skills and develop scientific attitudes to problem solving and also to

meet with the nation’s desire which is that of producing students that can live effectively in

our modern age. This is exactly the aim of 6-3-3-4 system of education.

The findings of this study would help promote the spirit of entrepreneurship among national

development among the general public as it is expected that product of this study would be

productive in their quest for improved technology and industrialization.

Finally, the finding would also serve as an eye-opener to the federal Government to release

adequate funds to equip schools with adequate laboratories for practical activities in

scientific, technical and technological oriented courses.

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1.6 Scope of the Study

The study was delimited to the assessment of biology practical activities on the academic

performances of biology senior secondary school students in Esan North East Local

government area of Edo state.

1.7 Limitations of the Study

Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in

sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data

collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other

academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Biology: Biology is the natural science that studies life and living organisms, including their

physical structure, chemical processes, molecular interactions, physiological mechanisms,

development and evolution.

Practical: concerned with the actual doing or use of something rather than with theory and

ideas.

Specimen: an individual animal, plant, piece of a mineral, etc. used as an example of its

species or type for scientific study or display.

Achievement: a thing done successfully with effort, skill, or courage.

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