METHODS  FOR EFFECTIVE BIOLOGY TEACHING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Science and technology have shown to be extremely beneficial in man's daily fight to maintain control over his immediate environment and create a healthy environment. According to Brown (2008), sound national development stems primarily from the fields of science and technology. Science and technology, according to Okeke (2007), are like two inseparable twins that are primarily responsible for national development and sustainability. Science is a methodical approach to gaining testable information about nature and natural phenomena via diligent observation and investigation. Technology, on the other hand, is the process of developing and implementing methods for converting raw materials into tangible objects (Okoye, 2009). Most developing countries are now making frantic efforts to improve the study of science and related science subjects in their schools as a result of the visible role of science and technology. For example, in Nigeria, the National Policy on Education stipulates that admission into the country's tertiary institutions should be based on a 60:40 ratio of science and arts related subjects. Education is a federal ministry (FME, 2004).

The study of biology is critical for the growth of a nation, as well as scientific and technical development. The much-needed and vouched technical breakthrough may not be realized without strong understanding and a healthy attitude toward biology.  For example, biological knowledge is applied in the manufacturing and processing business, medical, food production, and pharmaceuticals, among other fields (FME, 2004).  Science education, according to Okoro (2013), is essential for productive life in any community. It is the center for creating the resources required for any nation's socioeconomic, scientific, and technological growth.

Despite the fact that much has been written about problems that hinder good biology teaching and learning and have resulted in a lot of backward and bad academic achievements among senior secondary school students in Ebonyi State and Nigeria as a whole, there is still much more to be said. Because of a variety of causes, students' continued poor performance in biology has resulted in a growing number of them failing to achieve satisfactory marks that would allow them to continue their studies at a higher level (Brown, 2008). For well-intentioned Nigerians, parents, politicians, scholars, and scientific instructors, this has been a cause of concern.

Researchers in Nigerian scientific education have continued to look for methods to improve the situation and ensure that students learn biology in a relevant way. Biology is a science of life that plays an important part in the lives of all humans. It covers a wide range of topics such as zoology, botany, ecology, genetics, morphology, anatomy, physiology, histology, microbiology, biochemistry, evolution, and advanced cell biology and molecular biology (okoye, 2009). Apart from the interconnections between these divisions, biology is closely linked to other science subjects such as agriculture, chemistry, geography, mathematics, and physics. It's no surprise that biology is used in a variety of fields, including medical, pharmacy, food production and processing, biotechnology, genetics engineering, agriculture and horticulture, agriculture and environmental protection, and tourism (Osuafor, 2013).

Given biology's various fields and wide application in every sector of human effort, the relevance of biology in the growth of a country's economy cannot be overstated (Okoro, 2013). As a result, it is critical that all efforts be directed toward finding a final solution to the kids' academic low performance in the topic. To this purpose, researchers have discovered a number of elements that contribute to successful teaching and learning and, as a result, bad performance. These include a lack of qualified and experienced teachers, educational instructional materials such as textbooks, visual and audio visual aids, laboratories, a conducive learning environment, overloaded syllabuses, students' lack of interest, teachers' poor teaching method/interaction pattern, large class size/high teacher, and family background (Nwagbo, 2011).

According to Ncharam (2008), students' incapacity to sit down and study, grasp what the curriculum entails, and this leads to low performance in external exams. This also leads to a sweeping reversal of technical and scientific progress. According to Akpan (2009), thorough comprehension of concepts and focus in science-related subjects contribute to students' academic accomplishment and performance in a significant way. He went on to argue that because such pupils have mastered and regularly practiced the subject in issue, there is no sort of manipulated questions that may be presented to them in that particular concept to which they will not be able to supply responses. This would allow children to think morally, manage, and effectively use existing resources in their surroundings to help the nation prosper.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The government and Nigerian society have been concerned about secondary school students' low performance in Biology tests (such as SSCE and JAMB examinations) (Fme, 2008).

Because biology deals with life and living things, it is one of the most significant science courses. Furthermore, a solid understanding of biology will prepare the student for degree programs in fields such as medicine, pharmacy, microbiology, nursing, and many others.  Despite all of the efforts made by the country's various ministries of education to improve students' Biology performance, the problem persists (louie, 2011). What causes students to score poorly in biology exams? What are the current biology teaching approaches in secondary schools? What are some good ways for teaching biology in secondary schools? These questions explain the issues that prompted our investigation (Edu, 2010).

1.3     OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The following are the goals of these studies:

i. To emphasize and discuss the importance of a well-equipped laboratory in secondary school biology instruction.

ii. To determine the influence of regular examinations/assessments on students' biology competency, including both practical tests and problems — type tests.

iii. To determine the impact of professional biology instructors (resources teachers) on secondary school biology teaching.

1.4     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

i. What is  the importance of a well-equipped laboratory in secondary school biology teaching?

ii. What are the influence of regular examinations/assessments on students' biology competency, including both practical tests and problems — type tests?

iii. What are  the impacts of professional biology instructors (resources teachers) on secondary school biology teaching?

1.5      SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

If the findings of this study are applied, it will help both instructors and students in a variety of ways. For starters, studying will improve students' grasp of the topic (biology) and their success in biology exams. It will also assist teacher educators in developing an effective training program for teachers to enhance their value, such as workshops, seminars, and conferences.

Secondly, the study will relieve instructors of their overwhelming burden, giving them more time to adequately assess their students' abilities.

 1.6      SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of this research is limited to issues that obstruct successful biology teaching methods  in secondary schools. The subjects in this research will be biology instructors from state-owned secondary schools in Ebonyi L.G.A., Ebonyi state.

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