ABSTRACT: The study investigated effect of Utilization of Indigenous Instructional Materials and Students’ Academic Performance in Biology in Secondary Schools. Three research questions and three research hypotheses were formulated to guide the study and were all tested at 0.05 levels of significance. The pre-test post-test experimental design was used for the study. The population for the study was made up of 4031 Senior Secondary Two (SS2) Biology students in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area. One hundred Biology students randomly selected from two secondary schools constituted the sample size. The Biology Achievement Test (BAT) was the instrument for data collection. A test–retest method was used to determine the reliability of the instrument and the reliability index of 0.82 was obtained on Achievement Test by correlation analysis using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). Mean, standard deviation and independent t-test statistics were used to analyze the data obtained.
Utilization of Indigenous Instructional Materials and Students’ Academic Performance in Biology in Secondary Schools
The result revealed that there is a significant difference in academic performance of students taught the concept of flowering plant in Biology using indigenous instructional materials and those taught using standard materials; there is no significant difference in the academic performance of male and female students taught the concepts of the flowering plants in Biology using the Indigenous instructional materials and those taught using standard materials; and that there is a significant difference in the academic performance of male and female students in the retention ability on the concepts of the flowering plants in the Biology using the Indigenous instructional materials and those taught using standard materials. In view of the findings, it is therefore recommended that teachers should always incorporate Indigenous instructional materials in order to reduce abstraction on the teaching and learning of Biology.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Science is the bedrock on which modern day technology breakthrough is hinged. It is also a systematic study of the nature of the behavior of the material and physical universe through observation, experimentation, measurement and recording. Fape (2007) defined science as rationally structured knowledge about nature which embraces systematic methods of positive attitudes for its acquisition, teaching, learning and application.
The objectives of science education in this country according to Maduekwe (2006) includes the need to prepare students to observe and explore the environment, explain simple natural phenomena, develop scientific attitudes including curiosity, critical thinking and objectivity, apply the skills and knowledge gained through science to solve everyday problems in the environment, develop self-confidence and self-reliance through problem solving activities in science. Since the world is turning scientific and all proper functioning of lives depend greatly on science.
According to Ogunleye (2006), science is a dynamic human activity concerned with understanding the workings of our world. This understanding helps to know more about the universe. Without the application of science, it would have been difficult for man to explore the other planets of the universe. Science comprises the basic discipline such as physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology.
Biology as a branch of natural science deals with the study of life (plants and animals). As a science, the study of biology can be facilitated through the use of natural resources for demonstration or investigation of biological facts or phenomenon. Biology as a science course is taught at the senior secondary school level so as to prepare the students for the core science courses at the tertiary level of education. This implies that for students to be able to study science and other science related courses at the tertiary level of education successfully, such students has to be well grounded in Biology at senior secondary school level. In view of this, Biology is given great emphasis in senior secondary school curriculum. Thus Biology provides students with the ability to acquire:
- adequate laboratory and field skills in biology;
- meaningful and relevant knowledge in biology;
- ability to apply scientific knowledge to everyday life in matters of personal and community health and agriculture; and
- functional and reasonable scientific attitudes (Federal Ministry of Education, 2008).
Biology education involves much manipulation of materials by students and a clear look at the contents in biology shows that for a successful attainment of the goals of the subject, a lot of practical and field work must be done by students using necessary equipment and apparatuses. Without this necessary equipment, students will not be able to meet the objectives of this subject. Similarly, as a teacher it may be very difficult to find some of the original materials and equipment for effective teaching of Biology. The use of indigenous based instructional materials becomes the next option and studies have shown the importance of using indigenous based instructional materials in teaching of Biology.
Countries all over the world, especially the developing ones like Nigeria, are striving hard to develop technologically and scientifically. Biology as a natural science subject is taught at the senior secondary level so as to prepare the students for the core science courses at the tertiary level of education.
The fundamental aim of Biology is to develop in students’ science oriented skills. The study of Biology make students have first-hand experiences of the way a problem situation is tackled by a scientist; inquisitive about their physical and biological environment; enable students to comprehend the major unifying science concepts and pattern such as the principle of conservation of energy, the structure and composition of living things and the interrelationship between each composition of living things. It provides opportunities for students to use observational aids such as a simple microscope, and it also make students get acquainted with science process skills such as measuring, observing, experimenting, inferring, predicting, classifying, communicating, and recording of data.
However, many factors have hindered the successive implementation of the core curriculum in Biology. These factors according to Chukwuneke and Chikwenze (2012) include teachers’ method of teaching, learning environment, student’s view of the subject, availability of instructional aids, among others these hindrances had led to the poor academic achievement of students in school examinations. Research has revealed that the measurements of students’ previous educational outcomes are the most important indication of students’ future achievement. It is generally assumed that the students who showed better or higher achievement in the starting class of their studies also performed better in future academic years (Alu, Shoukat, ZubairHaider, FahadMunir, Hamid Khan, Awais Ahmed (2013).
Indigenous Based Instructional materials refer to the human (specialist in certain professions in the locality) and non-human materials (indigenous-based instructional materials) that can be used to ease, encourage, improve and promote teaching and learning activities in the learners’ immediate environment. The vile of instructional materials in teaching includes: making instruction more powerful and immediate, speeding up learning by saving time through scientific mode of instruction, inspiring students to be curious in learning, serving as a source of finding answers to questions. It helps to raise learning from verbalization to practical aspect of teaching and learning, makes teaching and learning interesting, easy and amusing, it brings clarity and creates recognition that allow student have a realistic hand and a total knowledge of the subject and also improve the competence of learners and makes learning more meaningful to students.
Kay (2008), opined that instructional materials stimulate the students’ desire to learn. It makes learning available to a wider audience, controls the pace of learning, promotes better understanding and helps to overcome physical difficulties in presenting the subject content.
The selection of indigenous based instructional materials is the activity of the students and the teachers and this activity according to Bassey (2002) have two main constraints militating against the successful selection of indigenous based instructional materials.. These are the technical factors related to the question of degree of accuracy and precision that is possible with the selection of indigenous based instructional materials, the human factor relates to the teachers’ skill in developing the resources while providing the appropriate learning experiences to the learners.
In addition, Mbajorya (2003) reported lack of adequate professional training as a major problem militating against the effective use of selection of indigenous based instructional materials for science teaching. The use of teacher produced selection of indigenous based instructional materials and exposure of students to resources available in their immediate environment for instruction at this level brings students to real world of activities and may help students gain scientific skills.
The utilization of selection of indigenous based instructional materials serves the following purposes in the educational system according to (Olumorin, 2014). It reduces the money spent on the purchase of equipment in educational institutions; ensures the realization of lesson objectives; helps in solving the problem of lack of equipment in educational institutions; gives room for a teacher to demonstrate his creative skills and gives room for the use of cheap local materials as alternatives to the expensive foreign ones.
The Olumorin, (2014) stated that the utilization of selection of indigenous based instructional materials encourages students towards the development of creative abilities; strengthens enquiry, discovery and investigative method in science; it provides a frame of reference on which students can key their attention during classroom activities; enables teacher to think of cheaper, better and faster methods of making teaching learning process easier for students; affords student the opportunity of becoming familiar with resources in their environment.
Teaching is done in secondary school in the absent of instructional materials and it is impossible for students to acquire skills in the absent of instructional materials. Learning with lack of instructional materials brings poor academic achievement to secondary school students. Hence this study is geared towards finding out if the utilization of selection of indigenous based instructional materials could bring solution to poor academic performance of students in Biology.
Furthermore, gender is a social or cultural determinant that varies from place to place or culture. It is not universal, unlike sex which is biologically determined and universal too. In recent times gender related issues in science education has continued to receive serious attention judging by the quanta of studies done to that effect.
Babajide (2010) opined that science subjects are given masculine outlook by educational practitioners. Also, the studies by Ogunleye and Babajide (2011) lend credence to non-significant gender effect in science and Baser (2006) shows that fostering conceptual change does not depend on gender. This present study also focused on the effect of gender on academic performance of students when taught using indigenous based instructional materials. This formed the background to this study to investigate the utilization of indigenous based instructional materials and academic performance of students in biology in secondary schools.
Utilization of Indigenous Instructional Materials and Students’ Academic Performance in Biology in Secondary Schools
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Personal observation has shown that memorization of facts has replaced experimentation in some of Nigerian schools making the achievement of vision 20-20 toward technological advancement and breakthrough to remain a hope of many decades to come. This is due to the fact that some foreign materials are not available or are inadequate in some schools. This is made manifest in poor achievement and low interest in science generally, and in Biology particularly among Secondary School students in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area. Considering the role of science and technology in the development of any nation and more so in a country considered to be developing like Nigeria. There has been lack of inadequate materials for teaching Biology in secondary schools. This then triggered the researcher to ask could the use indigenous based instructional materials influence the academic performance of students in Biology.
The need of providing answer to the question therefore motivated the researcher to investigate the effect of indigenous based instructional materials on the academic performance of students in Biology. The findings of this study will thus provide answers to some other questions such as: Does students taught with indigenous based instructional materials perform better than students taught without indigenous based instructional materials in biology? Do male and female students taught with indigenous based instructional materials perform differently in biology? Based on these facts, the study seeks to find out effect of utilization of indigenous based instructional materials on students’ academic performance in Biology in secondary schools.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of utilization of indigenous based instructional materials on students’ academic performance in biology. Specifically, the study intends to:
- Compare the academic performance of students taught the concept of flowering plants in Biology using indigenous based instructional materials and those taught using standard instructional materials.
- Examine the academic performance of male and female students taught the concept of flowering plants using indigenous based instructional materials and those taught using standard instructional materials.
- Examine the difference in the retention of Biology students taught the concept of flowering plants using indigenous based instructional materials and those taught using standard instructional materials.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions were formulated to guide the study in line with the study:
- What differences exist in academic performance of students taught the concept of flowering plants using indigenous based instructional materials and those taught with standard instructional materials?
- What differences exist between the male and female students the concept of flowering plants using indigenous based instructional materials and those taught using standard instructional materials?
- What differences exist among the retention ability of biology students taught the concept of flowering plants using indigenous based instructional materials and those taught using standard materials?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following hypotheses were formulated to guide the study:
- There is no significant difference in academic performance of students taught the concept of flowering plants using indigenous based instructional materials and those taught using standard instructional materials.
- There is no significant difference in the academic performance of male and female students taught the concept of flowering plants when taught using indigenous based instructional materials and those taught using standard materials.
- There is no significant difference in the retention ability of male and female students taught the concept of flowering plants using indigenous based instructional materials and those taught using standard materials.
1.6 Significance of the Study
This study will be useful to students, teachers, curriculum planners, and parents in the following ways:
To students: This study will help to develop problem solving skill in students and also help them to be more resourceful in learning Biology.
To Curriculum planners: The study would be beneficial to curriculum planners who would design functional curriculum by taking into considerations students-teachers indigenous-based instructional materials.
To teachers: it will enhance innovative thinking, creativity and resource fullness among Biology teachers as they will have to think of selecting relevant indigenous based instructional materials for their lesson. Also, they will be better informed on how to help and guide their students on better way of producing indigenous based instructional materials where standardized materials are unavailable or inadequate.
To Parents: Parents will be better informed on how to encourage and help their wards to produce indigenous instructional materials. This may be in form of sourcing local materials and providing funds for those that cannot be found in their environment.
To government: the study will provide them with sound knowledge of organizing seminars for teachers on the indigenous based instructional materials selection and utilization in teaching of Biology.
The findings of this study, if discussed in workshops and seminars will guide the choice of indigenous based instructional materials used in the teaching/learning process in biology and other subject areas.
To future researchers: the study will provide a source of data for researches on this topic and other related areas.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The study is delimited to utilization of indigenous based instructional materials and students’ academic performance in Biology within secondary schools in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area. The study concentrated on selected public secondary schools in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area. The study is also delimited to academic performance of male and female students taught using indigenous based instructional materials in senior secondary two classes in the 2017/2018 academic session in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area.
1.8 Definition of Terms
The following terms are defined as used in this study:
Indigenous Based Instructional Materials: These are those instructional materials that are produced using local materials from the immediate environment used in the teaching of Biology.
Foreign Materials: These are those foreign materials that are used in the teaching of Biology.
Academic Performance: It is a grades achieved by students in an examination in Biology.
Biology: This is the study of living things (plants and animals).
