Chapter Two

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CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIW

The review was discussed under the following sub headings:

1. Concept of Biology practical.

2. Effect of biology practical activities on students in secondary

schools.

3. Factors that cause of influence the problems of teaching

practical biology in secondary schools.

4. The need for teaching and learning of biology in secondary

schools.

5. Effect of gender and students’ effective study of biology.

1.0 CONCEPT OF BIOLOGY PRACTICAL


Macmillan Dictionary (2018) defined Biology practical as an

examination or lesson in which a student makes things or does

experiments. The term refers to what appertains to practice or action

“doing”. The “doing” is dependent on acquisition of the required skills.

The term practical and skills goes together for effective learning of

Biology. Practical skills are verified exclusively in the practical paper.


Biology is a practical science. High quality, proper biology experiments

and investigations are the key to enhanced learning, and classification

and consolidation of theory. Practical activities are not merely

motivational and fun: they also empower students to apply and extend

their knowledge and understanding of Biology in novel analytic

situations, which can stimulate interest and aid learning and retention.

Critically, practical work gives students an understanding of how

biology knowledge is created by experiment and observation. Biology is

one of the science subjects offered at secondary school level in Nigeria

which attracts the greatest patronage of both science-oriented and arts-

based students except where health science is offered. This status is

boosted by the national policy on education stipulation (FME, 2014).

Biology as a science course involves the use of process skills and

different methods to bring about significant learning in the learners.

However, there appears to be a continuous annual poor academic

performance of students in public examinations (Obekukola, 2016).

Akinwumi & Falemu (2020) assert that practical activities in biology

provide opportunities for students to actually do science as opposed to


learning about science. Biology practical teachings are important in

order to understand biology concepts. If science education targets to

enhance the understanding of the natural world by students and how it

works, then the students have to experience and spot the relevance of

science phenomena. Therefore the teaching approaches such as learners’

design, reciprocal, inclusion, divergent and self-check could improve the

teaching of Biology practical lessons (Capel, Least & Turner 2019).

Most instructional methods such as lecture and demonstration used in

teaching biology in the classroom promote rote learning and lack of

prospect for students to influence materials and reflect on what they do

during teaching and learning processes. Student’s interaction during

practical activities in the laboratory could play a key role towards

concretizing learning. Some governmental agencies, Non-governmental

agencies and academic bodies such as Nigerian Educational Research

Development Council (NERDC), Teachers Association of Nigeria

(STAN) and United Nation Economic Scientific Cultural (UNESCO)

among others are working conscientiously to realize the objectives of


Science Education in Nigeria to enable students acquire scientific

literacy (Akinwumi & Falemu 2020).

2.0 EFFECT OF BIOLOGY PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES ON


STUDENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL

Onah (1994) emphasized that teaching involves more than talking all the

time. Resources such as diagrams, field works and real objects, when

effectively used to explain the subject matter very well are better off

than oral lectures. The proper place for effective practical activities is

the laboratory. Biology being one of the science subjects cannot be

taught or learnt effectively in the absence of practical. Iloeje (2005), in

his lesson for effective biology practical activities stated that, of all the

five sense organs used, the sense of sight is the highest of them. Kildare

and Okoro (2007), established that students understand better when they

involve themselves in practical experiment during practical and obtain

their results such students can not only remember the procedure

involved but also feel proud of themselves of obtaining the correct

results, thus stressing the need match theory with practical.


Obidiwe (2005), while discussing science curriculum in Nigeria said

that, whatever project is selected, theory and practical should go hand in

hand. According to him, a practical aspect of biology is neglected so

much and when taught at all, the students are almost preparing for their

senior secondary certificate examination. As a result, students fail

biology in their S.S.C.E. Confirming the above situation Chukwu

(2009), observed that practical periods, which are very necessary for

successful study of biology are not enough. He highlights the need for

the students to be exposed to series of practical activities. The theory and

practical aspects of biology need not to be separated but taught as

component parts of a subject and not as a separate entity.

3.0 FACTORS THAT CAUSE OR INFLUENCE THE


PROBLEMS OF TEACHING PRACTICAL BIOLOGY IN
SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

There are many factors that cause the problems of teaching practical

biology in The Holy Trinity Comprehensive Anglican School,

Dadinkowa in Kotangora Local Government Area and some of them

include:
Inadequate laboratory facilities, Teacher factors, Students factors and

Environmental factors, we shall be looking into each of these.

a. INADEQUATE LABORATORY FACILITIES

The absence of adequate laboratory facilities in the secondary school has

been a major problem in teaching and learning of biology practical

activities.

Ani and Eze (2007) established that students understand better when

they have practical experiences, when students perform experiments

themselves during practical and obtain their results, they can not only

remember the procedures involved, but also feel proud of themselves for

obtaining the correct results. It is therefore essential that, the laboratory

is properly equipped, for the study of biology practical activities, and

students should be very much involved in the laboratory, since it is an

established fact that they perform better place when they partake in the

activities.

The proper place for the study of science is the laboratory. Biology

being one of the science subjects cannot be taught/learnt effectively in

the absence of a laboratory. Nnamonu (2003) supported that above


statement in his speech for effective use of laboratory. He stated that the

whole work of science is centered on problem solving and laboratory

afford convenient place for careful, observation, accurate calculation and

logical conditions. He further taught of the conducive environment that

is the laboratory, where both illustrative and investigating aspects of

practical could be carried out. According to Bargess (2003), the effective

use of the laboratory of science skills, under such conditions, the ability

for independent work and self reliance cannot be develop.

Based on these facts the laboratory should be properly equipped.

According to Lunetta (2008), the laboratory helps students in making

accurate observation, devising, hypothesizing, finding the reasons for

results, planning control and withholding judgment. According to Eya,

and Ani (2018) there have been an outcry about the falling standard of

science education in Nigeria over the years. Researchers have pointed

accusing fingers to several factors as being responsible and prominent

among these factors is the teacher factor.


b. TEACHER FACTORS

Most biology teachers do not organize their practical works, in such a

way that, it would help to develop skills and knowledge in the students.

Opuh, Ezeh and Ezema (2008) supported the above statement, in their

speech or approaches to creative teaching. They stated that, teachers

contribute a lot in discouraging or encouraging students in studying a

particular subject. This is because, many teachers present such subjects

to be difficult to handle. As a result students with such experiences, shy

away from learning the subject. They also noted that lack of well trained

and qualified teachers in different fields of study, contribute a lot to the

performance of students in such subjects of which biology is one of

them. Some teachers, in biology for instance have little experience in

teaching. Even those that are experienced sometimes use poor methods

in training biology. Moreover most of them are not familiar with the

content of creativity.

c. STUDENT FACTORS

This is another factor militating against effective learning of biology

practical in secondary schools many students select career subjects,


totally ignorant of available alternatives of choices and what chance they

have in choosing a particular career. This makes them to lose interest in

some subjects. When students show no interest in studying a subject,

they will definitely perform poorly in it. Okeke (2019) noted that in

Nigeria for instance, less than 50% of secondary school learners receive

career information, because of lack of trained guidance and counselors.

This makes students to seek out information from all sorts of source and

at end may receive wrong information.

Iloeje (2002) in his report for effective learning of science and

manipulative activities stated that, truancy is major cause of poor

academic achievement of our secondary school students. Most of the

students that attend go to school late and may miss some of the

important subjects taught during the first periods, of which biology may

be one of them. Based on the above facts, some of those students that

attend school at all may dislike a particular teacher for instance the

biology teacher. This will make them to pay little or no attention

whenever the teacher comes into the class to teach. At times they may

not even attend the teacher’s classes at all. As a result, they find it
difficult to understand and carry out practical activities, which may

cause their failure in biology both in internal and external examination.

d. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

This is a social factor which influences the learning of biology in

secondary schools; Onah (1994) in his study about the prejudices a child

brought from home to school environment, of some subjects like science

subjects which biology of one of them. Noted that, a child enters school,

bringing with him/her prejudices, built up at home through primary

socialization. Some of these prejudices are unfavourable and can create

problems in learning in the school; for instance, the belief that science

subjects are harder than other subjects will be unfavourable to the

science students. When schools’ exercises do not eliminate those

prejudices but rather help to promote it, the possibility of attracting

students to science subjects like biology will be limited. He also noted

that, time allocated to science subjects especially those that have

practical activities are too small. Therefore, the schools administration

schools look into it, and allocate more periods of lesson to all the science
subjects of which biology is one of them, since durable time for practical

activities encourages effective learning of science.

Okeke (2009) also stated that at times parents and family members

contributes a lot in discouraging their children from going into science

subjects, with the belief that science subjects are difficult and hard to

understand, of which biology is one of them. Therefore parents are

advised not to discourage their children over a particular subject,

because it may benefit them in future and also benefit their nation at

large.

4.0 NEED FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING OF BIOLOGY IN


THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The importance of biology in the social and economic development of

any nation cannot be over emphasized. Today USA, RUSSIA, and many

other countries are regarded as the most highly developed countries,

simply because of their knowledge of science, of which biology is one

them. For this purpose, the Federal Ministries of Education under the

National Policy on Education (FRN, 2004) vividly stressed that the

study of science will provide knowledge and understanding of the


complexity of the physical world, the forms and the conduct of life,

cultivate inquiring, knowing and democracy, all these are the importance

of science of which biology is one of them, innovations are coming up,

so that nobody can escape being caught up in the learning of biology.

Therefore, the need to acquire new skills, new attitudes and new values

for effective teaching of biology in our secondary schools cannot be over

– emphasized. Skills should be developed on how to handle practical

works on biology.

Okeke (2009) observed that the main hope for the developing countries

to attain to rapid rate of economic advancement, to raise the standard of

living in the future, lies in our will to enhance or improve the rate of

learning in the secondary schools, and to motivate students by giving the

high points to the development of science. The increasing demand of

service by our biological industries like pharmacological industries, the

agro– biological industries etc, can only be met by training capable

teachers who will enhance the rate of

learning in the secondary schools, and motivate students to specialize in

the subject.
Most students participate actually in some science subjects like biology

and they assume that other science subjects are not easy to handle, such

ideas should be discouraged as the science subjects work hand in hand

when handling any scientific innovation.

The new trend towards social, ethical and humanistic values of biology,

demands that the government should equip laboratories for practical

purpose and create the right attitudes of teaching the subject, so that the

students can inject their experiences into the scientific practices. Iloeje

(2002), in his report for success in practical works in biology, stated that

students must be giving opportunities to participate in whatever practice

that is going on in the laboratory. He said that, teachers should expose

the students to the rudiments of practical activities in biology. They

should encourage the need to equip the laboratory for the practical

purpose. These will help students to understand and assimilate some of

the biology terms, and theories will be made easy to them, so that they

will have interest in the study of biology and will wish to continue with

it in future.
5.0 EFFECT OF GENDER AND STUDENTS’ EFFETCIVE
STUDY OF BIOLOGY

According to UNESCO’s EFA Global Monitoring Report 2003/4,

“gender equality” refers to the notion of boys and girl experiencing the

same advantages or disadvantages in academics. Although there are

many exceptions, males and females do differ on average in ways that

parallel conventional gender stereotypes, and that affects how the sexes

behave at school and in class. On average, girls are more motivated than

boys to perform well in schools (Davis 2005). Odagboyi (2015), in the

findings of this study, shows that the boys achieved significantly higher

than the girls in Biology. Kiteto (2000), in his study states that problem

connected with girls’ school participation and performance differs from

region to region and between groups of people. Oba (2019) reported that

gender sensitivity should be abolished in the curriculum development,

scraping all policies that favour one sex/gender over the other and there

should be a disparity in treating male and female in the classroom. His

study reported that there is no significant difference between gender and


students academic achievement. Implying that there are no longer

distinguishing cognitive, affective and psychomotor skill and

achievements of students in respect of gender.

6.0 SUMMARY

In view of the review, the need for the teaching and learning of biology

in secondary schools were discussed. Biology is seen to be important in

school and economic development of our nation. Therefore, we need to

acquire new skills, new attitudes and new values for effective teaching

of biology in our schools. The effects of biology practical activities on

the students in secondary schools were also highlighted. It has been

known that, students achieve more when they participate actively in

what they are being taught referencing the vitality of biology practicals.

Also, resources such as diagrams, field works and real objects, helps to

explain the subject matter very well when effective used.

The factors that cause the problems of teaching practical biology in

secondary schools were also reviewed. Many problems of teaching

practical biology in secondary schools in Nigeria include; inadequate


laboratory facilities, Teacher factors, Student factors and Environmental

factors.

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