CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Biology according to encyclopedia international is the science that deals with life. It refers further to a unified group of life sciences dealing with development, growth, responses, reproduction, metabolism, evolution and the inter-relationship of all living and non-living things in our environment. It is the epicenter of all studies in the faculties of sciences, education, health and medicine, agriculture, engineering, technology, social sciences and management whether pure or applied that buttresson life sciences. It is a core subject compulsory to both art and science students in secondary schools in Nigeria. It educates the trends, tenets and effects of nature and nurture of all living things majoring in biochemistry (which explains the chemical transactions and transformations that is obtained in physiological systems). Botany (which deals with plant sciences) microbiology (which sections the pathogenic immunological, cytological, genetic and molecular activities that have to do with micro-organism in relation to their chemical, nutritional, environmental
and industrial applications) and zoology (which deals with animals and animalules) accounting for their anatomy, ecology, evolution, genetics and physiology in these majors. Biology plays a key role in industrialization and other sectors of the economy. It is practical subject, which equips students with concepts and skills that are useful in solving the day-today problems of life. The study of biology aims at providing the learner with the necessary knowledge with which to control or change the environment for the benefit of an individual, family or community.
Given its multi-disciplinary importance and diverse fields dispersal, biology is seen to be broad – as large as life and its obvious needs to man and pronounced indispensability to sciences propelled the education authorities in Nigeria to make it a compulsory subject for senior secondary school students.
Biology is indispensable to science and technology and their fronts in agriculture, environment, health, medicine and industries, especially now that, owing to man-made or man-aided and sometimes unaided untoward transformation and trends in these areas, scientists are streamlining researches to bio-authored, bio-supported and bio-perfected processes and products, with the aim of curbing the negative trends obtained otherwise.
Unfortunately, the below credit level performance of students in biology examinations and aptitude tests and the importunity of others who are admitted to pursue degrees and diploma in life science disciplines in Nigeria tertiary institutions is on the high side. This is traceable to the defective teaching of the subject in secondary schools.
Oluwole (2008) declared that only a little above fifty percent (50%) of secondary school leavers pass the (SSCE) biology at credit level.
Adah (2008) stated that the percentage of school leavers that pass (SSCE) biology at credit level has never formed a meniscus at seventy five percent (75%) over the years in the immediate past decade.
The average students’ performance in biology in the senior secondary school certificate examination (SSCE) and the national examination council (NECO) is nothing to write home about, the fact that some students see biology as a subject that discourages them from studying science at the senior secondary level is no longer news.
According to the National Policy on Education (1998), the goal of primary education is the laying of a sound basis for scientific and reflective thinking while the goal of secondary education is aimed at providing well trained manpower in applied science, technology and commerce at the sub- professional grades, hence the major objective of teaching biology in school is not only to communicate the spirit of science but also to ensure that students acquire skills of science (Ogunleye 1999).
The goal cannot be achieved when teaching of biology in secondary schools is defective but the goal can be achieved when there is effective teaching of biology in secondary schools which will bring about the desired improvement in students learning outcome in biology.
The oxford advanced learners dictionary put forth teaching as showing somebody how to do something so that they will be able to do it themselves, to give somebody in formation about a particular subject; to help somebody learn something. The sum of these dictionary definition is the capsule of the meaning and purpose of teaching which achieved, we can declare effective teaching, but defective (in-effective) teaching if otherwise.
Teaching has been defined by Wells, G. (1982) as cluster of activities that are noted about teachers such as explaining, deducing, questioning, motivating, taking attendance, keeping record of works, students progress and students’ background information.
Farrell, J.P and J.B. Oliveira (1993) posits that teaching can be seen as the logical and strategic acts denoting interaction between the teacher and the students as they operate on some kind of subject matter. Teaching involves imparting verifiable facts and beliefs, it encourages students participation and expression of their own views.
Effective teaching results in effective learning and as quite expected, a negative rendering of this claim is also true. Defective teaching results in defective learning. Thus a good biology teacher is expected to possess good teaching quality, expertise, proper management ability and good interactive skills. The students’ learning styles on their academic achievement in biology is not supposed to be neglected. So to ascertain the competence of a biology teacher, one would need to look at all the competence of his students and their performances in biology examinations and ability to stand out in or cope with advanced area in their pursuits of further studies in biology or other fields related to it.
A probe into the factors militating against the effective teaching of biology is a right step in the right direction, since according to Nwanguma (2011) biology is the epicenter of all studies in life science. This defect in the teaching of biology has been identified with the following factors, which includes lack of qualified and motivated biology teachers, non use of proper teaching methods and techniques, lack of adequately equipped biology laboratories in schools, in-frequent and in –efficient biology practical classes and inadequate provision of infrastructural facilities in schools.
This study investigates the effect of lack of qualified and motivated biology teachers, non-use of proper or appropriate methods and techniques in teaching biology, absence of adequately equipped biology laboratories. In-efficient and in-frequent biology practical classes and lack of infrastructural facilities as the factors militating against the effective teaching of biology in secondary schools in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Given its multi-disciplinary importance and diverse fields dispersal, biology is seen to be broad – as large as life and its obvious needs to man and pronounced indispensability to sciences propelled the education authorities in Nigeria to make it a compulsory subject for senior secondary school students.
Biology is indispensable to science and technology and their fronts in agriculture, environment, health, medicine and industries, especially now that, owing to man-made or man-aided and sometimes unaided untoward transformation and trends in these areas, scientists are streamlining researches to bio-authored, bio-supported and bio-perfected processes and products, with the aim of curbing the negative trends obtained otherwise.
Unfortunately, the below credit level performance of students in biology examinations and aptitude tests and the importunity of others who are admitted to pursue degrees and diploma in life science disciplines in Nigeria tertiary institutions is on the high side. This is traceable to the defective teaching of the subject in secondary schools.
Oluwole (2008) declared that only a little above fifty percent (50%) of secondary school leavers pass the (SSCE) biology at credit level.
Adah (2008) stated that the percentage of school leavers that pass (SSCE) biology at credit level has never formed a meniscus at seventy five percent (75%) over the years in the immediate past decade.
The average students’ performance in biology in the senior secondary school certificate examination (SSCE) and the national examination council (NECO) is nothing to write home about, the fact that some students see biology as a subject that discourages them from studying science at the senior secondary level is no longer news.
According to the National Policy on Education (1998), the goal of primary education is the laying of a sound basis for scientific and reflective thinking while the goal of secondary education is aimed at providing well trained manpower in applied science, technology and commerce at the sub- professional grades, hence the major objective of teaching biology in school is not only to communicate the spirit of science but also to ensure that students acquire skills of science (Ogunleye 1999).
The goal cannot be achieved when teaching of biology in secondary schools is defective but the goal can be achieved when there is effective teaching of biology in secondary schools which will bring about the desired improvement in students learning outcome in biology.
The oxford advanced learners dictionary put forth teaching as showing somebody how to do something so that they will be able to do it themselves, to give somebody in formation about a particular subject; to help somebody learn something. The sum of these dictionary definition is the capsule of the meaning and purpose of teaching which achieved, we can declare effective teaching, but defective (in-effective) teaching if otherwise.
Teaching has been defined by Wells, G. (1982) as cluster of activities that are noted about teachers such as explaining, deducing, questioning, motivating, taking attendance, keeping record of works, students progress and students’ background information.
Farrell, J.P and J.B. Oliveira (1993) posits that teaching can be seen as the logical and strategic acts denoting interaction between the teacher and the students as they operate on some kind of subject matter. Teaching involves imparting verifiable facts and beliefs, it encourages students participation and expression of their own views.
Effective teaching results in effective learning and as quite expected, a negative rendering of this claim is also true. Defective teaching results in defective learning. Thus a good biology teacher is expected to possess good teaching quality, expertise, proper management ability and good interactive skills. The students’ learning styles on their academic achievement in biology is not supposed to be neglected. So to ascertain the competence of a biology teacher, one would need to look at all the competence of his students and their performances in biology examinations and ability to stand out in or cope with advanced area in their pursuits of further studies in biology or other fields related to it.
A probe into the factors militating against the effective teaching of biology is a right step in the right direction, since according to Nwanguma (2011) biology is the epicenter of all studies in life science. This defect in the teaching of biology has been identified with the following factors, which includes lack of qualified and motivated biology teachers, non use of proper teaching methods and techniques, lack of adequately equipped biology laboratories in schools, in-frequent and in –efficient biology practical classes and inadequate provision of infrastructural facilities in schools.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
In view of the permeation and diverse applications of biology in human endeavours, the defective teaching of biology in secondary schools, as demonstrated in the performance of students in biology examinations and advanced studies in life sciences is a serious concern to stakeholders and threat to the future of the subject and the life it portends in Nigeria, and calls for urgent, attention.This study investigates the effect of lack of qualified and motivated biology teachers, non-use of proper or appropriate methods and techniques in teaching biology, absence of adequately equipped biology laboratories. In-efficient and in-frequent biology practical classes and lack of infrastructural facilities as the factors militating against the effective teaching of biology in secondary schools in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
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