INFLUENCE OF THE INVOLVEMENT OF SECONDARY

SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BIOLOGY PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES

ON THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

BY

EDETH EMMANUEL EJIROGHENE

FOE/WR/20/21/275491
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY EDUCATION
COURSE CODE: SED 407
COURSE TITLE: RESEARCH SEMINAR

BEING A SEMINAR PAPER PRESENTED AT THE FACULTY

OF EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY EDUCATION,
DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY, ABRAKA

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FO

THE AWARD OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE B.SC.
(ED) IN BIOLOGY EDUCATION

SEPTEMBER, 2024

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INTRODUCTION

Biology according to Sarrogini (2015), is the branch of science that induces the
study of living things. It is also a natural science concerned with the study of
living things in our environment. Practical activities are crucial in biology
education as they help students develop a deeper understanding of biological
concepts through hands-on experience rather than theory alone (Opuh et al.,
2018). The West African Examination Council (WAEC, 2018) supports practical
work in the curriculum to enhance students' laboratory and field skills in order to
carry out experiments. In order for the laboratory activities to be effective students
need to understand not only how to do the experiments, but why the experiment is
worth doing, and what purpose it serves for better understanding of a concept,
relation or process Omiko (2015). Adebisi and Ajayi (2015) commented that if
science is to be learnt effectively, it must be experienced and close to the students
through practical activities. However, the lack of adequate laboratory facilities and
insufficient exposure to practical activities in many schools could negatively
affects students’ understanding and achievement in biology. Addressing these
gaps by ensuring consistent and effective biology practicals can enhance students'
grasp of complex biological principles and ultimately academic performance.
Thus, practical biology education is vital for bridging the gap between theoretical
knowledge and real-world application.

Statement of the problem

Despite the fact that biology education is crucial, secondary school students in
Nigeria consistently underperform in this subject, with a notable inequality
between expected and actual academic success. Traditional teaching approaches
have been prevalent (common), but concerns are accumulating that they may not
be sufficiently effective in development deep understanding and enhancing
academic achievement. The integration of practical exercises in biology
instruction has been proposed as a potential remedy, yet there is a scarcity of
research on the extent to which these activities impact academic achievement in
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biology among secondary school students. Therefore, this study seeks to examine
the influence of secondary school students involvement in biology practical
activities on their academic achievement, with the goal of providing whole insight
(complete understanding) to enhance teaching methods and improve students’
performance.

Objectives of the study

The general objective of this study is to examine the influence of secondary

school students involvement in biology practical activities on their academic
achievement in Uvwie LGA, delta state Nigersia. Specifically, the study sought
to;

1. Determine the effect of biology practical activities on the academic

performance of secondary school students in Uvwie LGA, Delta state.
2. Determine the influence of gender on the academic performance of secondary
school students taught biology with practical activities in Uvwie LGA, Delta
state.
3. Determine the influence of school type on the academic performance of
secondary school students taught biology with practical activities in Uvwie
LGA, Delta state.

Research Questions

The following research questions were raised for this study;

1. What is the difference in the academic performance of secondary school

students who were taught with biology practical activities compared to those
who were not taught with biology practical activities in Uvwie LGA?
2. What is the influence of gender on the academic performance of secondary
school students taught biology with practical activities in Uvwie LGA?

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3. Do students in public secondary schools and private secondary schools differ
significantly in academic performance when taught biology with practical
activities in Uvwie LGA?

Research Hypothesis

HO1: There is no significant difference in the academic performance of

secondary school students who were taught with biology practical activities
compared to those who were not taught with biology practical activities in Uvwie
LGA?

HO2: There is no significant difference in the academic performance of male and

female secondary school students taught biology with practical activities in Uvwie
LGA.

HO3: There is no significant difference in the academic performance of students

in public secondary schools and private secondary schools taught biology with
practical activities in Uvwie LGA.

Scope of the study

The scope of this study covers the investigation of the influence of Biology
practical activities on the academic performance of SS2 students in Uvwie LGA,
Delta State, Nigeria, specifically focusing on the topic of Photosynthesis. It
examines the differences in academic performance between students taught with
biology practical activities and those taught without it. The influence of gender
and school type (public or private) on the effect of biology practical activities on
students' performance. The research addresses three key research questions and
tests corresponding hypotheses to determine the significance of these factors. The
study involves only SS2 students in selected secondary schools within Uvwie
LGA.

Significance of the Study

The finding of this study will be of great importance to the following persons;
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Students: The findings of this 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 add more
meaningfully to the development of the society.

Teachers: 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
students.

Parents: The study would also motivate the parents to provide basic requirements
for science lessons for their children.

Government: The study would also serve as an eye opener to the Governments to
release adequate funds to equip school with adequate laboratories for practical
activities.

LITERATURE REVIEW

The following concepts will be covered in the conceptual framework of this study:

 The concept of Biology

 Biology practical activities
 Importance of biological practical activities
 Problems associated with the conduct of Biology practical activities
 Laboratory facilities

Empirical studies on the influence/effect of biology practical activities will be

reviewed.

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This study will adopt an experimental research design to examine the influence of
Biology practical activities on the academic performance of secondary school
students. Two groups will be formed by randomly assigning students to either the
experimental group (with Biology practical activities) or the control group (lecture
method). A pre-test will be administered to ensure both groups had similar
academic strength in Biology before the intervention. The topic will be taught in 1
periods of 45 minutes, with both groups receiving the same time of instruction. A
post-test will then given to compare the academic performance of the two groups
and determine the effectiveness of practical activities.

Population of the study

The population of the study consists of all students offering Biology in Uvwie
Local Government Area of Delta State.

Sample and Sampling technique

The sample for this study consists of 120 SS2 students from 3 private and 3 public
schools in Uvwie local government area. Simple random sampling will be used to
select 3 public and 3 private secondary schools in the region. Also, simple random
sampling technique will be used to select 20 SS2 students from each school
sampled as shown in Table 3.1 below.

S/N School Sample

Public secondary schools
1 Army Day Secondary School 1, Effurun 20
2 Ebrumede Secondary School, Ebrumede 20

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 3 Ekpan Basic Secondary School, Ekpan 20
Private secondary schools
4 Alvina’s Model Secondary School, 20
Effurun
5 Anointed Secondary School, Effurun 20
6 Ascension Secondary School, Effurun 20
TOTAL 120

Research Instrument

The research instrument used in this study is a test. After instruction, a test will be
administered to both groups of students: those taught with practical activities and
those taught with lecture method, in order to measure their academic performance.
The test will consist of multiple-choice questions to assess students' understanding
and retention of the concept taught.

Validity of Research Instrument

To ascertain the validity of the research instrument (test) used for the study, it will
be constructed with the guidance of the project supervisor. The instrument will be
subjected to criticism and corrections from the supervisor, and suggestions made
will be taken into consideration before taking them to the field.

Reliability of the Research Instrument

A pilot test of the questionnaire will be carried on 20 SS2 offering Biology in

Warri South Local Government. The result of the test was used to compute the
reliability of the instrument. The Cronbach Alpha will be applied to calculate the
reliability coefficient.

Method of Data Collection

The researcher will visit the sampled schools in Uvwie Local Government Area of
Delta State to conduct the research. He will teach in the schools that were sampled
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for the study. The research instrument will be administered by the researcher after
teaching. It was retrieved after it was completed by the respondents.

Method of Data Analysis

Mean will be used to answer the research questions. The mean of groups will be
compared to determine which groups perform better. T test will be used to test
each null hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance, and will be rejected when the
calculated value is greater than critical or table value otherwise it was accepted

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 REFERENCES

Adebisi, T., & Ajayi, T. (2015). Enhancing science learning through practical
activities: A case study of secondary school students. Journal of Science
and Technology Education, 6(2), 147-156.

Omiko, A. (2015). Enhancing student understanding through effective laboratory

practices. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 24(4), 437-446.

Opuh, W. O., Eze, C. O., & Ezeamagu, I. O. (2018). Biology: A hands-on

approach to understanding life and structure of plants and animals. Journal
of Science and Technology Education, 9(1), 1-12.

Sarrogini, P. (2015). Biology: The study of life. Journal of Biological Education,

49(2), 157-165.