Secondary School Biology Students Research Articles

Influence of Environment on Academic Performance of Senior Secondary School Biology Students in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State

The influence of environment in which students generally and specifically science students study on their academic performance is the main concern of this study. Biology, both as a subject and a discipline is a natural environment friendly endeavour. The environment of its study by students is very crucial. The objectives of the study included examining the influence of school location, security of school environment, home background of the students and cleanliness of the school on secondary school student’s performance in Biology. The sample size was six hundred and thirty-five (635) students (10% of the population) selected from five secondary schools out of the ten public schools. From the results, it was that concluded all the environmental factors considered in the study influenced the academic performance of Biology students in Owerri Municipal. It is recommended that all stakeholders in biology education of students should encourage and facilitate stronger partnerships between schools and home to ensure that everyone participates actively in and support students’ academic endeavors in biology through ensuring a healthy and secure school environment.

Assessment of botanical learning through an educational intervention based on aromatic plants and their uses in the immediate environment

AbstractIn order to achieve meaningful learning and in view of the need for education for sustainable development (ESD), pedagogical proposals based on experiential methodologies, paying attention to what is taught and with what objective, are essential. Sustainability in education implies a new vision of the term integral sustainability (IS); this should not only focus on environmental aspects of sustainability, but make the whole process of learning sustainable in itself. Against this background, this article presents a non-formal educational intervention for secondary school biology and geology students focused on aromatic plants and associated traditional knowledge (which are locally relevant to the students), in support of the botany-related contents established in the formal curriculum. To evaluate the activity, pre-test and post-test questionnaires were completed by the students. The results revealed significant improvements in students’ ratings of motivation, scientific learning, and sustainable awareness, demonstrating the effectiveness of implementing pedagogical proposals related to the immediate environment for increasing interest in learning and conservation of natural resources.

Influence of Dick and Carey instructional model on secondary school biology students’ performance in Katsina State, Nigeria

The focus of this research is on the impact of Dick and Carey instructional model on the performance of secondary school biology students in Katsina State, Nigeria. Gender was also considered in the study to see if the Dick and Carey model could improve performance in biology regardless of gender. The study used a quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-test control groups. The study’s population consists of all senior secondary II (SSII) biology students in Katsina State. The study’s sample size is 140 SSII biology students. Purposive sampling was used to select four schools from the Funtua Educational Zone to participate in the study. Each school’s intact SSII class was used for the study. Two schools were assigned to experimental and control groups at random. The instruments for the study were Dick and Carey instructional model guide (DCIMG) and biology performance test (BPT). BPT was validated by experts from Usmanu Danfodiyo University’s biology department and experienced secondary school biology teachers. The split-half method yielded a reliability index of 0.71 for BPT. The study was guided by three null hypotheses, and the data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-test analysis. The results showed that the experimental group treated with DCIMG outperformed the control group treated with the traditional method. Furthermore, gender has no effect on student performance in biology. Thus, it was recommended, among other things, that DCIMG be used in biology teaching regardless of gender, especially when dealing with difficult concepts in biology.

Effects of Inquiry and Discussion Methods on Secondary School Biology Students’ Achievement and Attitudes in Delta Central Senatorial District

This study investigated the effects of inquiry and discussion methods on secondary school Biology students’ achievement and attitudes in Delta Central Senatorial District. The study adopted pre-test post-test control group quasi-experimental design. The population of the study consisted of 17,790 senior secondary school one (SS1) Biology students in public secondary schools in Delta Central Senatorial District. A sample size of 418 SS1 Biology students in 9 public mixed secondary schools was used for the study. The instruments used for collection of data were: Biology Achievement Test (BAT) and Biology Student Attitude Scale (BSAS). The reliability of BAT and BSAS were established using Kuder-Richardson Formula 21 and Cronbach Alpha which yielded 0.77 and 0.78 reliability coefficient respectively. The data collected using BAT and BSAS were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that there was significant difference in the mean achievement scores of secondary school Biology students taught with inquiry and discussion methods, in favour of discussion method; there was no significant difference in the mean attitude scores of secondary school Biology students taught with inquiry and discussion methods. It was concluded that inquiry, discussion and lecture method of teaching enhance secondary Biology students’ achievement but at varying degree; and inquiry and discussion methods of teaching improve secondary school Biology students’ attitudes more than lecture method of teaching. However, discussion method of teaching has more effect compared to inquiry and lecture method of teaching. Based on these findings, recommendations were made.

Impact of ethnobiology-based instruction and peer tutoring on the achievement of senior secondary school biology students in Ogun state southwest Nigeria

This study investigated the impact of Ethnobiology-Based instruction Peer Tutoring on Achievement of Senior Secondary School Biology Students in Ogun State. The study employed Explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach. The quantitative approach was quasi experimental pretest-posttest non-equivalent group design. Three research questions and one hypothesis was formulated to guide the study. The population of the study comprised of all Biology students in public Senior Secondary Schools in Abeokuta zone. Purposive sampling technique was used to select six Public Schools from two zones (Abeokuta South and Abeokuta North). Biology students in six intact classes of SSS III took part in the study. The sample size of 313 biology students with 101 students in the experimental group 1 (48 male and 53 female), 117 students in the experimental group 2 (57 male and 60 female) and 95 students in control group (38 male and 57 female) which were taught the same biology content for a period of four weeks. The experimental groups received instructions through the use of Ethnobiology-Based Instruction and Peer Tutoring while the control group was taught using lecture method. The data gathering instruments were Biology Achievement Test (BAT) and Students Semi-structured Interview Guide (SSIG). The reliability coefficient of the BAT was established using test- retest and yielded 0.87. Descriptive statistics in form of mean, standard deviation and histogram plot were used to answer the research question while the hypothesis was tested using ANCOVA at 0.05 level of significance. The inferential analysis of hypothesis one has a significant difference on Students’ academic achievement in Biology (F (2,309) = 386.85; p < 0.05), this indicated that the hypothesis is hereby rejected since a significant difference is obtained. The results from the study revealed that the treatments positively improved the academic achievements of students and the students taught using ethnobiology-based instruction had higher test result and outperformed those in Peer Tutoring and lecture method group, but the students in Peer tutoring group also performed better than those in lecture method group. This implies that Ethnobiology-Based instruction is more effective in enhancing Students’ performance in biology and it helps to break barriers to meaningful learning of biology. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that Biology teachers should relate learning to students’ cultural views and encourage peer tutoring.

Effect of Animation Package on Academic Performance of Secondary School Biology Students towards Ecological Concepts in Kaduna South, Nigeria

This study entitled, Effect of Animation Package on Academic Performance of Secondary School Biology Students towards Ecological Concepts in Kaduna South, Nigeria was guided by four research questions and four corresponding research hypotheses. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design, specifically utilizing a pre-test post-test non-equivalent control group experimental design, given the use of intact classes. The study population comprised 699 SS II Biology students from Government Secondary Schools in Kaduna South LGA, with a sample size of 212 students randomly selected from two schools and an additional 150 students purposively selected from two other schools. Assessment of students' performance was conducted after they received instruction using both an animation package and conventional teaching methods. The assessment instrument used was the Ecology Performance and Retention Test (EPRT), comprising 30 items with response options A, B, C, and D, each item allocated 2 marks, resulting in a total score of 60. Validation of the EPRT was performed by two senior lecturers from the Federal College of Education, Zaria, experienced in educational tests and measurement. The reliability of the EPRT was assessed using the test-retest technique, yielding a reliability coefficient of 0.79 using Kuder-Richardson Formula 20. Data analysis was carried out using mean and t-test at a significance level of 0.05. The findings revealed differences in the mean performance scores of students taught ecology concepts using an animation package and those taught without, as well as differences in the mean retention scores of students taught Biology concepts using an animation package and those taught without it. Additionally, there were differences in the mean performance scores of male and female students taught ecology concepts using animation packages, while no significant difference was observed in the mean retention scores of male and female students taught biology concepts with the use of animation packages. Based on these findings, the study recommends that educational institutions prioritize the integration of animation packages into biology curricula to enhance student learning outcomes, among other suggestions.

Effect of Metacognitive Instructional Strategy Using PEEDA on Biology Students Achievement in Delta State

The purpose of this research was to determine whether and how a metacognitive educational technique based on PEDDA (Prior knowledge, Exploration, Discussion, Dissatisfaction, and Application) will improve the performance of secondary school biology students in Delta State. The investigation was guided by three hypotheses and three research questions. The research used a quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent pre-post test and control group setup. Students from the public secondary schools in the three (3) senatorial districts of Delta State were included in the research. A total of 30,813 SS II biology students and 436 overall participated. This research employed a sample of 300 SS II biology students and six biology professors from six different high schools in Delta State. Data was gathered using the researcher’s primary instrument, the Meta-Cognitive Biology Achievement Test (MBAT). Students in the experimental group were taught the biology concepts of “pollution,” “exploration of the different types of pollution,” “discussion on the causes of pollution as well as the effects of pollution,” “dissatisfaction with the experience,” and “application of the control measures for pollution” using a metacognitive instructional strategy, while students in the control group were taught using the lecture method. Statistical methods such as analysis of variance (ANOVA), analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and mean and standard deviation (SEM) were used to compile and interpret the results (ANCOVA). It was shown that the metacognitive approach to teaching was more effective than the traditional lecture format. Furthermore, the research indicated that while using the metacognitive teaching technique, there was no statistically significant difference in the mean accomplishment scores of male and female students (PEDDA). The study’s results led to many recommendations, including the adoption of metacognitive teaching tactics by secondary school biology instructors to increase student engagement.

Secondary School Biology Teachers’ Social Awareness as Determinant of Students’ Performance in Minna, Niger State

The study investigated the relationship between Biology teachers’ Social awareness and secondary school Biology students’ performance in Minna, Niger State. The study adopted a correlational research design and was guided by one research question. A total of 105 Biology teachers and 520 Biology students formed the sample that was used for the study. The study focused on Social awareness which is one of the constructs of emotional intelligence. The instrument used for data collection from the Biology teachers was the researchers’ structured questionnaire titled Biology Teachers’ Social awareness Questionnaire (BIOSSEQ). The instrument was validated by experts and tested for reliability using Cronbach alpha method, in which a reliability coefficient of .76 was obtained. Descriptive statistics, namely, mean and standard deviation with scatter plots were used to answer the research questions. Results of the study revealed a positive relationship between Biology teachers’ Social awareness and students’ performance in Biology. The researchers recommended among others that teachers’ Social awareness should be monitored via periodic appraisal and be improved via counselling services in secondary schools as it is evident that Social awareness of teachers influences students’ performance in Biology.

Fostering Critical Thinking Skills Using Integrated STEM Approach among Secondary School Biology Students

Globally, critical thinking skills have been acknowledged as an important goal of education and integrated STEM-based approaches have been reported to have the potential to enhance critical thinking. Therefore, this study examined integrated STEM instructional material for genetic learning to increase secondary school biology students’ critical thinking skills. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design, specifically a pre-test-post-test control group design. The sample size was made up of 112 students, two schools were randomly selected and assigned to the experimental and control group. The experimental group was made up of 58 students and the control group was 54. An integrated STEM approach module was developed for the experimental group, critical thinking skill test was used for pre-test and post-test data. The instrument yielded a reliability of between 0.71 - 0.76 for all the subskills of critical thinking skills. The pre-test results in all critical thinking subskills of inference, recognizing assumption, deduction, interpretation, and evaluation Wilks’ ˄ = .93, F (5, 94) = 1.370, p = (.24) > 0.05, indicating that the two groups were equivalent in their critical thinking skills before treatment. The findings of the within-group comparison show that the experimental group shows a significant difference between pre-test and post-test with a large effect size (d2=1.56) compared to the control group with a small effect size (d2=0.01). The between-group comparison using MANOVA shows a significant difference in students’ critical thinking skills of inference, recognizing assumption, deduction, interpretation, and evaluating arguments (Wilks’ ˄ = .31, F (5,106) = .68, p = (0.00) < 0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that an integrated STEM approach was more effective in enhancing students’ critical thinking skills.

ASSESSMENT OF THE PSYCHOSOCIAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR BIOLOGY LEARNING IN AKOKO SOUTH WEST IN ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

The role of psychosocial factors in improving students learning is well documented in literature, as well as its prospects and benefits in addressing educational problems. Hence the need to assess the psychosocial learning environment for biology learning. This study revealed biology students’ anxiety level, their sense of belonging and the classroom climate as perceived by the students. The descriptive survey research was conducted with 391 biology students selected randomly from a population of all senior secondary school biology students in Akoko South West, Ondo State, Nigeria. A four-sectioned validated questionnaire, with reliability index of 0.72, 0.82, and 0.77, served data collection purpose. Findings revealed that students’ anxiety level is moderate (mean score=1.49). Although, students often get depressed if they don’t perform up to expectation (1.27), they are not anxious whenever test is approaching (1.54), and they are unsure of their anxiety level with respect to failing (1.50). Also, students exhibit a moderately high sense of belongingness in school (mean=1.68) but students feel ignored in most extra-curricular activities (1.31) and believe that their teachers are often too busy to attend to their personal needs (1.28). Students accepts their classroom climate as conducive for learning (1.76), organized (1.74), and not disoriented (1.59). The result also reveals that the classroom atmosphere is moderately positive (mean=1.66). It was recommended that educational stakeholder and curriculum implementers should employ techniques that will further decrease students’ anxiety and boost their sense of belonging. The classroom climate should be supplemented with psychosocial enrichment.&#x0D; Keywords: Psychosocial Learning Environment, Anxiety, Sense of Belonging, Biology

Improving the Motivation and the Classroom Climate of Secondary School Biology Students Using Problem-Based – Jigsaw Discussion (PBL-JD) Learning

Classroom climate and motivation plays a major role in the teaching-learning process. In this study, we proposed a new teaching method (PBL-JD). “Problem-Based Learning” (PBL)-Jigsaw Discussion (JD) (PBL-JD) is a student-centered teaching methodology applied in science education; it ensures that the students are actively involved throughout the learning process. The main aim of this research was to examine the effect of the PBL-JD method on students’ motivation to learn science and on the science classroom climate. The participants of this pre-test – post-test quasi-experimental research consisted of 204 tenth graders studying the blood circulation system. Ninety-eight students were assigned to the experimental group and 106 to the control group. The experimental group was taught using the PBL-JD method, whereas the control group used the traditional non-PBL method, i.e., lecture-based learning. Two questionnaires (pre and post) were distributed (one for evaluating motivation and another for evaluating the science classroom climate). Significant differences were found among the experimental group, who improved their motivation and their perception of the classroom climate.

Integrating Assessment for Learning into the Teaching and Learning of Secondary School Biology in Tanzania

The paper is about a study that investigated how the integration of assessment for learning enhances learning achievement among secondary school biology students in Tanzania. A quasi-experimental design involving pre-test and post-test of non-equivalent control and experimental groups was used to ascertain how the integration of assessment for learning into teaching and learning processes enhances students’ learning achievement. Two boarding secondary schools located in the suburbs of Dar Es Salaam were selected. Students in the two schools had maintained equivalent performances in national examinations in previous years. The results showed that the students taught using teaching and learning processes integrating assessment for learning outperformed those taught using conventional approaches. The integration of assessment for learning is likely to have contributed to the higher learning achievement in the experimental group. The study contributes to our understanding of how teachers in resource-constrained classrooms can integrate assessment for learning techniques into their day-to-day lessons, thereby harnessing the power of assessment to enhance learning and raise standards.

Practice in Teaching and Learning of Invertebrates: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Pedagogical Language Strategies in Tanzania Secondary Schools

Teaching and learning of invertebrate systematic require effective pedagogical language strategies since the terms used are most in English and Latin. The Tanzania education policy specifies that the medium language of instruction in primary must be Kiswahili, while English has to be used in post-primary education. Consequently, secondary school biology students find difficult to cope with learning in the context of foreign language. This paper aims at presenting the investigation on how pedagogical language strategies can effectively support teachers and learners during teaching and learning of systematic invertebrates in Tanzania secondary schools. Data were collected using the lesson observation checklist, lesson evaluation sheet, interview with teachers and focus group discussions with learners. A total of 60 sessions, each of 80 minutes were observed in 10 schools. A total of 40 teachers and 400 level four students of the ordinary level participated in the study. Quantitatively, paired sample t-test, means, standard deviations and percentages were used to evaluate and compare changes in learners’ performance in pre- and post-tests. Further, thematic analysis was employed to analyse qualitative data. Key findings from the study indicated that the majority of teachers who participated in the training managed to set competencies and the activities to reinforce the achievements of developed competencies. Again, teachers and learners had a progressive significant improvement over introduced pedagogical language strategies. Overall, there was a statistically significant difference between pre- and post- intervention. Interviews with teachers and focus group discussions with students revealed that the strategies increased students’ interactions and activeness in class, which in turn, improved the learning of biology content through the English language. This study therefore recommends the pedagogical language strategies to be adopted during teaching and learning of biology, specifically the content of invertebrate systematic.

Impact of Visual Learning Devices on Secondary School Biology Students’ Academic Performance in Ilorin, Nigeria

&lt;div class="WordSection1"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Visual learning devices can be instructional tools utilised by the instructors globally. However, despite its relevance for teaching, the awareness of its use have not been notably established. Therefore, the study examined the impact of visual learning devices on secondary school (SS) biology students’ academic performance in Ilorin, Nigeria. Study was of descriptive of the survey type and sampled were 100 teachers and &lt;span style="text-decoration: underline;"&gt;139 &lt;/span&gt;students in Ilorin, Nigeria. The instrument was the researchers-designed questionnaire which was validated by two Biology educators, two educational technologists and a test, measurement and evaluation specialist. Whereas, the face and content and pilot tested were observed with Cronbach alpha, and reliability coefficients were recorded at 0.05 level of significance. Seven research questions were raised and answered while three research hypotheses were formulated and tested. Findings revealed a significant difference between male and female students; between the students in SS I. II, and III and between the rural and urban schools students on impact of visual learning devices on students’ academic performance. Therefore, the study concluded that visual learning devices has impact on students’ academic performance. Hence, the use of visual learning devices was recommended for all secondary schools in Nigeria for the teaching of Biology.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Keyword&lt;/strong&gt;: learning devices, academic performance, biology students,&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;impact&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Effect of Synthetic and Natural Specimen Use on Process Skills and Applications in Secondary School Biology Practical in Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Effective teaching of Biology practical entails the use of specimens. However, in Nigeria, some natural specimens are difficult to obtain when needed, hindering the learning and application of science process skills. Consequently, teachers resort to pictorial representation of specimen and to online prints for Biology practical instructions. Another possible alternative less discussed is the use of synthetic or artificial specimens. The goal of this study, therefore, was to examine the effect of using synthetic and natural specimen on practical skills- process skills acquisition and application in Biology practical in secondary schools. It sought to determine the efficacy of using synthetic specimens to complement or substitute for natural specimens in teaching Biology practical. The study employed the pre-test, post-test, control group, quasi- experimental design. A total of 212 senior secondary school (SS II) Biology students in six selected government-owned high schools in Moba and Ijero Local Government Area of Ekiti state, Nigeria, were randomly selected for the study. The schools were paired and assigned to two experimental groups (using synthetic and natural specimens) and a control group (using conventional drawings). Eight instruments were employed for the study and used at treatment stage. Data collected were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and Multiple Classification Analysis (MCA). The results showed that there was a significant effect of synthetic specimens and natural specimens on the proficiency of the students in basic science process skills acquisition (F = 60.470, P&lt;0.05). However, the mean gain of 3.884 which existed between the two groups showed that natural specimens were slightly more effective than synthetic specimens. The results also showed a significant effect for the use of synthetic specimens on process skills acquisition and applications of Biology concept among the students (F = 74.773, P&lt;0.05). The study concluded that synthetic specimens are equally effective as natural specimens in improving the acquisition and application of basic science process skills of students in Biology.

Secondary School Biology Students’ Attitudes towards Modern Biotechnology Characterised using Structural Equation Modeling

In biotechnology education research (BTER), the multifaceted construct of attitude has seldom been problematised in depth despite that the majority of studies in BTER during the last two decades have focused on students’ attitudes towards modern biotechnology. Most studies on attitudes in science education use a single-factor model in characterising students’ attitudes, while some use a three-factor model. By means of structural equation modeling the current study tested and evaluated single, three-factor, and bifactor models of student attitudes towards modern biotechnology. To further shed light on the stability of this model measurement invariance testing was carried out for groups; school-type, gender, grade, parental education and educational programme. The results showed that a three-factor model and a bifactor model showed satisfying fit to the student attitude data. The bifactor model were relatively invariant for all groups except for gender, where boys had a more positive attitude. The affective and behavioural aspects of attitudes were highly correlated why the bifactor model with its general factor and specific cognitive factor may provide a more sound explanation of students’ attitudes towards biotechnology. The results indicate the importance of including affective and behavioural dimensions of attitude in biotechnology teaching. Further implications for practice are discussed.

Effects of English and Yoruba interpreted biology picture label as an advanced organiser on students’ learning outcomes in senior secondary schools in Ife East local government area

The study assessed the effect of English and Yoruba interpreted biology picture labels as an advance organiser on the achievement of senior secondary school biology students in Ile-Ife. It also investigated the effect of the labels on students’ attitude toward biology. The study adopted the non-equivalent pre-test-post-test control group research design. The population for the study consisted of senior secondary school students in Ife-East Local Government Area of Osun state. The study sample comprised 128 senior secondary school II biology students in three intact classes selected using simple random sampling technique. The three classes were randomly assigned to two experimental and one control group, namely: Picture labels in English advance organiser group, picture labels interpreted into Yoruba advance organiser group and the conventional teaching method group. Two research instruments were used for the study, namely: Students’ achievement test in biology and students’ attitudinal questionnaire. Data were analysed using analysis of covariance. The results of the study revealed that there was a significant effect in the achievement of students in the experimental and control groups. There was also a significant effect in the attitude of students in experimental and control groups, with Yoruba interpreted picture labels having a better effect on the learning outcomes of biology students than picture labels in English and the conventional teaching method. The study concluded that picture labels interpreted into Yoruba as advance organiser was a better strategy in improving students’ learning outcomes in biology.Keywords: Achievement; advance organiser; attitude; picture; Yoruba language

Effects of Instructional Scaffolding Strategy on Senior Secondary Biology Students’ Academic Achievement and Retention in Taraba State, Nigeria

The study determined the effect of instructional scaffolding strategy on senior secondary school Biology Students' academic achievement and retention of concepts. Two research questions and two hypotheses were formulated for the study. Quasi-experimental research design involving pre-test, the post-test control group was employed. The population of the study was all the senior secondary two (SSII) students in Jalingo education zone. Random sampling technique was used to select four intact classes with 240 students as the samples size for the study. A 50 item Biology scaffolding Achievement Test (BSAT) was the instrument used for data collection, and the same instrument tagged Biology scaffolding Retention Test (BSRT) but arranged differently in numbering and response option. Kuder Richardson's formula 20 (KR-20) was used in estimating the reliabilities for the BSAT and BSRT, and the reliability of 0.87 and 0.85 for BSAT and BSRT respectively were obtained. The experimental group was taught Genetics and Evolution through instructional scaffolding strategy while the control group was taught the same topics through lecture method. The treatment lasted for four weeks. The retention test was administered two weeks after the administration of the post-test. The mean and standard deviation was used to answer the research questions, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the two hypotheses. The findings show that the students taught with instructional scaffolding strategy have a significantly higher academic achievement than those taught with lecture method. Equally, those taught through instructional scaffolding retained Biology concept more than those taught through lecture method. It was recommended that the teaching of Biology should be scaffolded for better understanding. Curriculum planners should adopt instructional scaffolding as an adequate teaching strategy for the teaching Biology.

Effect of Biology Practical Activities on the Academic Achievement of Senior Secondary School Biology Students.

This study investigated the effect of Biology practical activities on the academic achievements of senior secondary school biology students in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State. The study adopted pretest posttest non-randomized quasi experimental design. Four research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. One hundred and twenty (120) senior secondary school biology students were sampled from the population of 490 SS II students. Four schools were sampled out of 13 Government Secondary Schools in Awgu L.G.A. Instrument for data collection was Biology Achievement Test (BAT) consisting of 21 multiplechoice test items was constructed. The instrument was validated by three experts; one in measurement and evaluation and two in biology education. The reliability test was done using Kuder-Richardson (K-R20) which gave a reliability index of 0.74. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested using t-test. The findings of the study showed that students taught biology using practical activities performed better than their counterparts using conventional method. The result also showed that gender has significant difference on students‟ performance when taught with practicals. The researchers therefore recommended that teachers should employ practical activities in teaching biology to enhance students‟ performance.

Effects of WebQuest on Secondary School Biology Students Achievement in Cell Division in Ilorin

Effects of WebQuest on Secondary School Biology Students Achievement in Cell Division in Ilorin