Assessment of Availability and Utilization of Information Technology in The Teaching of Biology in Ekiti State Secondary Schools, Nigeria (Published)
The study investigated availability and utilization of information technology in the teaching of Biology in Ekiti State secondary schools. The descriptive research design of the survey type was adopted in the study. The population of this study consisted of all the secondary schools in Ekiti State. The sample for this study consisted of 100 Biology teachers which were selected from 50 secondary schools in Ekiti State. The sample was selected using simple random and stratified random sampling techniques. Information and Technology Equipment Checklist was used for data collection. The face and content validity of each instrument was done by experts in Test and Measurement. The data collected for this study were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings of the study revealed that the level of availability, level of adequacy and extent of utilization of information technology facilities in teaching Biology in Ekiti State secondary schools were low. It was recommended among others that the government should provide information technology facilities in secondary schools and inspectorate department should ensure that schools with information technology facilities should put it into use in teaching and learning of school subjects especially Biology.
Keywords: Assessment, Availability, Biology, Information Technology, Teaching, Utilization
Fostering Senior Secondary Students’ Attitude and Achievement in Biology in FCT-Abuja Using Facebook Instructional Strategy (Published)
The study investigated how Facebook Instructional Strategy could be used to foster Senior Secondary Students’ Attitude and Achievement in Biology in FCT-Abuja. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted. The population comprised 12719 senior secondary two biology students. The sample consisted of 247 SSII biology students selected from six government schools in the study area using purposive sampling technique. Data were generated using Germination Achievement Test (GAT) and Students’ Attitude to Biology Questionnaire (SABQ). The GAT and SABQ were validated and subjected to reliability analysis using Kuder-Richardson formula 21 (K-R21) and Cronbach Alpha formula which yielded coefficients of 0.75 and 0.68 respectively. Six research questions guided the study, while six hypotheses were formulated. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviations to answer the research questions while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that there is significant difference in the mean achievement score of students taught seed germination using facebook instructional strategy and those taught using the lecture method; there is significant difference in the mean achievement scores of male and female students taught seed germination using facebook instructional strategy. There is no significant difference in the mean attitude ratings of students taught seed germination using facebook instructional strategy and those taught using lecture method; There is no significant difference in the mean attitude ratings of male and female students taught seed germination using facebook instructional strategy. Based on the findings, it was recommended amongst others that biology teachers-trainees should be trained on the use of facebook instructional strategy in teaching biology.
Keywords: Achievement, Biology, Facebook instructional strategy, Gender, Seed Germination, attitude
Boosting Achievement Using Individulised And Demonstration Strategies In Biology: How Do Male And Female Students Behave In Nigeria? (Published)
This study determined the effectiveness of demonstration, individualized and conventional methods and Gender on the achievement of Secondary School Two students in biology. The study employed a multi stage sampling techniques; in the first stage, three schools were randomly selected out of the twenty Secondary Schools in Abeokuta South Local Government of the state. At the second stage, sample sizes of sixty students were randomly selected from the list of students and their gender. In the same manner, thirty students were male while the female constitute the same number. The study which lasted six weeks made use of two valid and reliable instruments: Biology Achievement Test (BAT) and Operational guide for instruction (OGI) Stimulus instrument. Students were exposed to different methods (Demonstration and Individualized) while those in the control were not exposed to any treatment but were rather taught in the Convectional way. Data analysis involved the use of Analysis of Covariance, Descriptive Statistics and t-test.The result indicated that the demonstration method is a more potent method of improving achievement in biology. (F (1.167) = 42.838; P < 0.05), (F (1.167) = 486.287; P < 0.05), F (2.167) = 90.389; P < 0.05). Moreover, there was a significant difference in the academic achievement of male and female students when exposed to the two experimental methods and control, hence female students performed better than their male counterparts. Arising from these findings, demonstration method and individualized method where recommended for teachers use in biology classrooms.
Keywords: Achievement, Biology, Demonstration Strategies, Male and Female Student, Nigeria