ABSTRACT: This study examined Motivational Strategies and the Teaching/Learning of Biology in Secondary Schools. Survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study were all the Biology teachers/all the SS2 Biology students in the study area. Sample size of one hundred (100) SS2 Biology students and fifteen (15) Biology teachers were selected using simple random sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire; the data collected were analyzed using simple percentage. The result revealed that motivational strategies influence both the teaching and learning of Biology positively in secondary schools in Ikono L.G.A.
Motivational Strategies and the Teaching/Learning of Biology in Secondary Schools
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The relevance of motivation and teachers job performance is very crucial to the long term growth of any educational system around the world. In Nigeria, it may not be an over-statement to say that teachers have not been given adequate priority as stipulated in the national policy of education.
According to Agharuwhe (2013), teachers are expected to earn both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards from work. It is believed that if teachers’ payment, working conditions are judged to be normal by the teachers, they will put in more effort at work.
The success or failure of any educational system depends mainly on the teachers. This is where effective motivation of teachers comes to play. It is a well-known fact that a well-motivated teacher who is provided with working incentives, good working conditions, and adequate remuneration is bound to be dedicated to his/her teaching so as to bring about the needed learning.
Theoretically, lack of salary for teachers could have effect on teachers’ prompt and regular attendance in school, his attitude towards lesson plan and student’s learning effectiveness. Dweck (2014) put it that, it is a known fact that many teachers fail to develop self-efficacy with educational setting. He further opined that; needs, satisfaction and motivation to work are very essential in the life of teachers because they form the fundamental reason for working in life. While almost every teachers works in order to satisfy his or her life needs, he/she constantly agitates for need and satisfaction.
Motivation can be seen as the ability of employer to meet the needs of employee for effective improvement of their performance. On the other hand, students can also be motivated. The ability of teachers to guide the students to learn, give them the necessary appreciation, this will motivate them to learn.
Teachers are the producers of the bank managers, oil miners, judges, accountants, lawyers, senators, governors, and even the presidents. But it is the teachers’ salary that is always delayed and their salary is lower compare to those they produced.
However, it is assumed that teachers’ agitation and demands are beyond the resource of the ministry of education. As the result, the government and Nigerian Union of Teachers are in a constant discussion over the increase in salaries, benefits and improvement in working conditions of teachers. Government accuses the teachers of negligence, laziness, purposeful lethargy and lack of dedication and zeal to work. They further argue that teachers’ level of efficiency and effectiveness does not necessitate the constant request for salary increase, incentive and better working conditions while teachers on their part argue that the existing salary structure, benefit, development and working conditions do not satisfy their basic needs in as much as other sectors of the economy have bigger salary structure, better motivation and enhanced working conditions (Effiok, 2013).
Ekpo (2016) opined that the level of teachers depends on how effective the teachers are motivated themselves. Awodun (2013) study the impact of teacher’s motivational strategies on the learning of Biology, the result revealed that teacher’s motivation has significant relationship with the learning of Biology among students. Based on this background, the researcher considered it necessary to examine the teaching/learning of Biology in Ikono local Government Area.
Motivational Strategies and the Teaching/Learning of Biology in Secondary Schools
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Biology is an important subject whose knowledge helps in the care and maintenance of our body. The important of Biology to human being cannot be overlooked. But the academic performance of students in this important subject has been observed by many researchers to be below the expectation of the general public.
The cause of this low/poor academic performance of students in Biology has been attributed to so many factors such as home factors, school factors, teaching method, class size, students factors but little has been researched on motivational strategies. It is on this note that the researcher finds it necessary to examine motivational strategies and the teaching/learning of Biology in secondary schools