ASSESSMENT OF THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR THE EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF BIOLOGY IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

ASSESSMENT OF THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR THE EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF BIOLOGY IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

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BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Education is a preparation for life. This is related to the acquisition of skills to earn a living. Today as always, the definition of education is the ever change and increasing in scope. Our schools are confronted with new pressures arising from changing needs with students; societal expectation, economic changes and technological advancement are to look into (Federal Ministry of Education, 2008).

Ali (2002) believes that the word science stands for a variety of information, abilities and operations about the natural environment. He believes that science is more concerned with various investigative processes and activities with regards to developing, acquiring, and controlling knowledge, skills, attitudes and capabilities about the natural factors of the environment. According to Aniodoh (2009), science is a body of knowledge arrived at through systematic and procedural processes based on tentative observation and experiment.

Biology as one of the science subject is defined as the study of life and structure of living things and concerns itself with the study of structure, behavior, distribution, the origin of plants and animals and their relationship with the environment. Abugu (2007) stated that biology is a natural science in which the study living organisms-plants and animals. Biology has been identified as the bedrock of understanding life, treating ailment and maintenance of ecosystem. However, it has been discovered that secondary school students have misplaced biology in their choice of subject on the basis that biology is too wide for them to cope with teacher have always been blamed for students poor performance in biology but should not be allowed to bear the whole blame alone, rather it should be looked at as a problem that has many contributory factors among which are teaching aids, students and government factors.

The West African Examination Council (WEAC) and National Examination Council (NECO) among others syllabus on biology is structured using the conceptual apparatus. It is expected that with adequate exposure to the syllabus, the students will not only acquire scientific skill and attitudes, but will also demonstrate a thorough understanding of scientific concepts and then in providing practical solutions to real life problem (Bandele, 2003). Achievement test results over the years have shown an ever decreasing gap between the performances of Biology at senior secondary school level in Makurdi Local government Area of Benue State (Onekutu and Onekutu, 2002). Available statistics from West Africa Examination Council, WAEC Chief Examiners report that WAEC May/June 2016, a total of eight hundred and seventy eight thousand and forty (878,040) candidates, representing 52.97%, obtained credits in five (5) subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics.

There are varieties of materials which the Biology teachers use. These resources are models, charts, preserved specimens of plants and animals, culturing equipment and microscope (Olagunju, 2000). The resources should be provided in quality and quantity in classroom for effective teaching-learning process (Umeoduagu, 2000). Josiah and Ali (2013) in an empirical study, revealed that essential facilities such as equipment like radio, television, computers, chemicals, specimens, videos tape, stave, Bunsen burners, models and charts are not available in schools. This inadequacy of teaching materials, laboratory, space, has been of serious concern to educators.

According to Ajewole and Okebukola (2000), a number of factors are said to have contributed to the students poor academic achievement in school, some of these factors include: poor study habits and lack of available resource materials, teachers ineffectiveness, the teaching method and the type of learning environment available for both the students and the teachers. From the authors view, the poor performance of students in Biology may be a reflection of the type of learning environment.  The authors stress that a host of these factors may surround students poor achievement in school which may include: poor study habits and lack of available resource materials, poor school climate, indiscipline, inadequate facilities, teachers ineffectiveness, the teaching method and the type of learning environment available for both the students and the teachers. From the authors view, the poor performance of students in primary school may be a reflection of the type of learning environment. Obaka (2005) observed that school environment may have negative influence on students academic achievement especially if such environment lacks good school climate, instructional materials, discipline, physical facilities, has poor teacher quality, type of location of school is questionable.

The decline in performance in science Technology and Mathematics (STM) may be unconnected with poor learning environment created by this state of infrastructural facilities Akinsola (2000).  Mapaderun (2002) also emphasized that the availability and adequacy of these facilities promote effects teaching and learning activities in schools while there in adequacy affects the academic have performance negatively. Several efforts have been extended by science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) to train secondary school teachers on improvisation techniques in various on science subject including Biology; hence there is need to valuable how far teachers have been able to improvise instructional material for effective teaching.

It is against this background that the researcher deemed it necessary to assess the resources available for the effective teaching and learning of biology in senior secondary schools in Enugu South local government area of Enugu-state.

1.2 Statement of the Problem 

The ultimate goal of any instructional activity is to facilitate effective teaching and meaningful learning and the teacher is responsible for the translation, and implementation of educational policies, curriculum, instructional materials package and assessment of a school outcome. When a curriculum is developed without adequate support by appropriate and sufficient materials and information technology support, there is a waste and when teachers are inadequately trained to interpret the curriculum and to create and use learning materials there is also a waste (Amoo, 2002). It has been observed that public schools lack basic instructional facilities, in some cases students are achieved to buy chalks and other instructional materials for the teaching and learning process. Consequently, students academic performance have been poor as it can be seen over the years through public examination and other examinations. In our senior secondary schools, teaching materials needed for teaching biology subjects are not made available to teachers and at affordable price to students where necessary, the teachers and students are therefore denied of the requisite exposure to such materials. This study therefore pose as a question, what are the effect of using instructional materials to teach  biology in senior secondary school in Enugu South local government area of Enugu-state.

1.3 Purpose of the study

The general purpose of this study is to assess the resources available for the effective teaching and learning of biology in senior secondary schools in Enugu South local government area of Enugu-state, but specifically the study will attempt to:

1. To ascertain if teachers use Resources in teaching and learning of biology in senior secondary schools in Enugu South.
2. Ascertain the extent to which Resources help to facilitate effective teaching and learning and understanding concepts.
3. To ascertain the challenges hindering teachers from using Resources in teaching and learning process.
4. To ascertain how effective teaching and learning can be achieved in the classroom situation by using Resources.

1.4 The Significance of the study

This study is significant in many way as I will be beneficial to educational management, policy makers, teachers and students, through the following ways:

To the educational managers, state government and federal government, it will enable them to organize seminars and workshops for teachers soars to improve their quality of secondary school education. The study will serve as a feed back to the education sector especially the department of teachers training and development, curriculum and evaluation.

The findings of this study if discussed at seminars and workshops in the area of this study, it will enable teachers have a clear knowledge on effectiveness use of Resources and also learn to take appropriate measure to improve the situation.

To the students, the study will help them if adequate Resources are provided, it will help them to reach learning and understanding classroom instruction very well.

Finally, the findings of this study will be beneficial to scholars and researchers since it will serve as reference materials on the related topics and also show case ways of improving students’ academic performance and to achieve better learning.

1.5 Scope of the study

This study covers all the public secondary schools in Enugu South local government area of Enugu-state, thus, investigating the effects or the effectiveness use of Resources to teach biology in senior secondary schools in Enugu South local government area of Enugu-state (source: Semb2012). The study will cover the utilization, functions and constraints, types of Resources.

1.6 Research Question

The following research questions guided the study:

The researcher formulated the following research questions to guide the study:

1. Do teachers use Resources in teaching and learning process in secondary schools in Enugu South L.G.A?
2. To what extent do Resources help to facilitate effective teaching and learning and understanding concepts?
3. What are the challenges hindering teachers from using Resources in teaching and learning process in secondary schools.
4. How can effective teaching and learning be achieved in the classroom situation by using Resources?
5. To what extent are Resources made available to biology teachers in secondary schools?
6.  To what extent do teachers have access to the Resources in teaching of biology in secondary schools?
7. To what extent do teachers utilize the Resources in teaching and learning of biology in secondary schools?

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