Relative Effects of Three Instructional Approaches on Reasoning Skills and Retention of Students in Evolution Concepts

Abstract

Evolution, a major unifying biological theme that deals with the origin of life on earth, is the concept that most Ghanaian Senior High School (SHS) students hold misconceptions about. This makes its meaningful understanding challenging, especially on problems that require them to think in abstract forms. The author of this study, therefore, investigated the relative effects of three instructional approaches (demonstrative lecture, problem-based approach, and classroom discussion) on reasoning skills and retention of Ghanaian Biology students in evolution concepts. A quasi-experimental design was employed for the study. The population comprised all Science Two students in Berekum Municipality and Berekum West District. Multistage sampling techniques were employed to select thirty-nine (39) students for the study. Biology Reasoning Skills Test-Evolution (BRST-E) of a coefficient value of 0.76 was the instrument designed to gather data. Results from the ANCOVA reveal that students exposed to a problem-based approach had a significant gain in their reasoning [p<0.05, η2p=0.193] and retention [p<0.05, η2p=0.281], whereas the t-test results revealed that male students made advancements in their reasoning skills than females [df=24,t=5.08, F=4.36, p<0.05]. Therefore, Biology instructors in Berekum Municipality and Berekum West District should embrace the use of a problem-based approach in delivering evolution lessons to shape students’ levels of reasoning and memory retention.