THE USE OF CHARTS IN TEACHING  OF BIOLOGY IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Instructional resources are incredibly crucial in teaching especially for new teachers. Instructional materials according to Faurant (1975) are resources employed by an instructors which let students understand the teacher or that enable students internalize what is being put across to them.

Teachers rely on instructional materials in every element of teaching. They need materials for background information on the subject they are teaching young instructors normally have not built up their experience when ever they enter to the profession. Teachers often use instructional resources for lesson planning these products are also needed by teachers to test the understanding of their pupils (Sotayo 2010). (Sotayo 2010).

People learn in different ways. Some people are extra ordinary good at recalling knowledge delivered to them orally (i.e. via a lecture) whereas others absorb and retain a large deal of information through visual stimulants or signals.

Repetition works for a lot of folks as well. Most people however required a combination of the aforesaid method which can comprise audio visual materials books and even actual application. These are a fantastic tool for insuring that students have the best possible opportunity to recall the information being provided to them.

With the advancement in knowledge and proliferation of a wide variety of chart there have been improvement imports on our scope of knowledge attitude and ways of perception the impact according to (Emma, 2001) is evident in the manner the school and scientists respond to local and international issue communication to them through the various media.

In teaching and learning of science, we regularly employ diagrams. There are countless photos, photographs, schematic diagrams and realistic drawings on each page of biology textbooks and they are a large element of teachers’ classroom education (Pozzer and Roth 2003 ; Roth et al. 1999 ). (Pozzer and Roth 2003 ; Roth et al. 1999). Such frequent usage of diagrams is not simply because they are a great visual addition to textual explanation of science concepts, but because they are a vital role in producing and communicating scientific facts and processes (Lynch 1990). (Lynch 1990). Scientific diagrams are often the results of a thorough process of selecting, enhancing, and connecting key parts of a scientific phenomenon, and they can explain the concepts in their own sophisticated ways (Lynch 1990). (Lynch 1990). However, comprehending scientific ideas using diagrams is not as simple as we frequently imagine. Using diagrams to learn science efficiently can be tough for pupils. For example, Novick (2006) has found that in order to understand what diagrams depict, students need sufficient understanding in both scientific content and diagrammatic standards. As cognitive science continues to explore the complicated mechanisms by which people learn with visual representations, we as educational researchers investigated how visual representations are actually employed in school settings for teaching and learning (Gilbert 2008 ; Kozma 2003).

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The world as a whole and emerging countries in particular are continuously faced with huge educational issues which the standard classroom environment and learning methods cannot cope with. Most students understand better with the use of diagrams, charts etc in the teaching of science disciplines especially biology (Emma, 2001). (Emma, 2001). Hence this study seeks to determine the use of charts in the teaching and learning of Biology in secondary schools.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The primary objective of this study is to examine the use of charts in teaching  of biology in secondary schools. Specifically, other objectives of this study are:

i.          To determine the extent charts are used in the teaching of Biology in secondary schools.

ii.        To examine the impact of the use of charts on the learning of Biology in Secondary schools.

iii.      To determine the effect of using charts to teach on the academic performance of students in secondary schools.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions which are in line with the objectives of this study will be answered:

i.          To what extent are charts used in the teaching of Biology in secondary schools?

ii.        What are the impact of the use of charts on students learning and understanding of Biology in Secondary schools?

iii.      Does the use of charts to teach have effect on the academic performance of students in secondary schools?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be greatly significant to the government through the ministry of education as the need for provision of necessary instructional materials to schools will be seen. It will motivate parents to provide basic requirements of practical lesson(s) for their children in secondary schools and also this convince the science teachers that charts and diagrams are mostly essential for effective teaching and learning of other science subjects like biology, chemistry, physics, agriculture and to say mathematics. Finally, this study would contribute empirically to the body of existing literature and it would serve as a reference source to students or other researchers who might want to carry out their research on the similar topic.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will focus on the use of charts in teaching  of biology in secondary schools. Specifically, it will focus on determining the extent charts are used in the teaching of Biology in secondary schools, examining the impact of the use of charts on the learning of Biology in Secondary schools and determining the effects of using charts to teach on the academic performance of students in secondary schools.

Selected secondary schools in Dunuokofia Local Government Area of Anambra State will serve as participants for the survey.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study will be limited to the use of charts in teaching  of biology in secondary schools. Specifically, it will also be limited to determining the extent charts are used in the teaching of Biology in secondary schools, examining the impact of the use of charts on the learning of Biology in Secondary schools and determining the effects of using charts to teach on the academic performance of students in secondary schools.

Selected secondary schools in Dunuokofia Local Government Area of Anambra State will serve as participants for the survey. This serves as a delimitation to this study.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Charts: a sheet of information in the form of a table, graph, or diagram.

Teaching: the occupation, profession, or work of a teacher.

Biology: the study of living organisms, divided into many specialized fields that cover their morphology, physiology, anatomy, behaviour, origin, and distribution.

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