EXAMINATION OF STUDENTS PERCEPTION ON DIFFICULT TOPICS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL BIOLOGY  CURRICULUM

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Science itself is an organized body of knowledge in form of concepts, laws, theories and generalizations. Science according to Urevbu (2001) is the study of nature and natural phenomena in order to discover their principles and laws.  Ezendu (2002) defined Science is a body of knowledge, which is acquired through observation and systematic experimentation. Ogbonna (2000) defined science as complex human activities, which culminate in the production of a body of universal statement, which serve explain the observable behaviour of universe or part of it and which is in them, have predictive characteristics.

Various Scholars have investigated difficulties pupils face in learning biology in other countries such as Scotland, Nigeria, Turkey and Israel (Johnstone and Mahmoud 1980). In their findings, Johnstone and Mahmoud (1980) suggested that genetics was among the most challenging topics in biology for secondary school pupils. Lazarowitz and Penso (1992) identified cells, physiological processes and hormonal regulation as being the biological concepts that posed learning difficulties to the secondary school pupils. According to Johnestone (1999), monohybrid, dihybrid crosses and linkages in genetics, meiosis, central nervous system, alleles and genes were largely perceived by pupils as being topics of the highest difficulty.

There has been consistent decline in the performance of students in public examinations conducted by the west African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO) in sciences across the country over the years (Agogo, 2003; Samba & Eriba, 2012). Ahmed and Abimbola (2011) argue that because of its numerous importance, Biology is the most popular choice, among science subjects nationwide, offered by candidates sitting for the senior secondary school certificate examinations.

According to WAEC Research Report (2008) and (2009), despite the popularity of Biology, results of research studies always revealed the poor performance of students in the subject. Results from findings revealed that a vast number of factors are responsible for the students’ poor performance: difficult biological concepts (Tekkaya et al., 2001; Çimer, 2004; Zeidan, 2010); the nature of science itself and its teaching methods Lazarowitz and Penso (1992) as well as the biological level of organization and the abstract level of the concepts. Çimer (2011) argued that many concepts or topics in biology, including water transport in plants, protein synthesis, respiration and photosynthesis, gaseous exchange, energy, cells, mitosis and meiosis, organs, physiological processes, hormonal regulation, oxygen transport, genetics, Mendelian genetics, genetic engineering, and the central nervous system can be perceived as difficult to learn by secondary school students.

While Tekkaya et al. (2001) found that hormones, genes and chromosomes, mitosis and meiosis, the nervous system, and Mendelian genetics were considered difficult concepts by secondary school students. Özcan, (2003) stressed that experiencing difficulties in so many topics in biology negatively affects students’ motivation and achievement. Students’ difficulties with many topics in biology have stimulated researchers to investigate why students experience such difficulties and how to overcome these difficulties. Experiencing difficulty in Biology could be attributed to many factors such as classroom learning environment, lack of interest in learning science, overloaded curriculum content and delineation of science from society, among others.  Despite the teachers’ full knowledge of the difficulties that student face in learning some of these topics in biology which actually lower their overall performance in biology examinations, teachers have taken no serious steps to redress the situation. This is partly due to the teachers’ lack of specific research-based information on how to teach such problem topics which could otherwise serve as a tool in alleviating the pupils’ difficulties in learning the aforesaid topics. This study therefore established the topics in biology which were perceived as difficult and examined the pupils’ difficulties in learning biology, and highlighted some of the possible teaching strategies that the biology teachers could use in order to address the learning challenges.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

For over a decade now various scholars of senior high school pupils have exhibited unsatisfactory performance in some biology topics that are perceived as difficult to learn, and the reasons for their learning challenges are not known. While adequate research has been conducted in other countries of the world in relation to biology topics perceived as difficult, and students’ learning challenges, very little research of this nature has been carried out in Nigeria especially Bayelsa State. The researcher also observed that once the teachers have difficulty in understanding certain biology topics, he/she will not be able to teach such topics to the good understanding of the students, hence such teacher is likely to avoid such topics and students are likely not understand the area of the biology curriculum not taught by the teachers and the students may even not prepare well for external examination in such topics. These might lead to poor performance in the senior secondary certificate examination as the syllabus and questions are based on the senior secondary education curriculum. Based on this premise, the study is set out to find out the perception of the students on difficult topics in senior secondary schools curriculum in Bayelsa  state.

1.3     OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is to find out the perception of secondary school students on difficult topics in biology curriculum in Bayelsa state, specifically the study intends to:

i.          To determine the level of difficulties experienced by students in biology curriculum.

ii.        To analyse the perception of students concerning the difficult topics in biology curriculum.

iii.      To ascertain factors contributing to students difficulty in comprehending some topics in biology  

iv.      To establish if difficulties in comprehending some biology topics will impede students’ academic performance.

1.4    RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

Ho1: The level of difficulties experienced by students in biology curriculum is Low

Hi1: The level of difficulties experienced by students in biology curriculum is High

Ho2: There is  no significant effects of  difficult topics on the academic performance of students in biology.

Hi2: There is a significant effects of  difficult topics on the academic performance of students in biology.

1.5     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

A lot of research has been done on pupils’ difficulties in learning biology across the globe generally. However, not much research, according to the literature, has been done on pupils’ learning difficulties in biology in Kogi state Nigeria. This study therefore is very important as it will provide useful data on the stdents learning difficulties in biology. It is hoped that data from this study may be useful to policy makers and curriculum designers in the Ministry of Education who may prescribe some changes in teaching methods. The results of the study would equally be useful to educational institutions, school heads; teachers of biology, parents of students studying biology, and other stake holders who may wish to improve classroom teaching and learning. It is also hoped that this study will motivate other scholars to carry out similar research into pupils’ learning difficulties in biology and other science subjects or scale up this work beyond Bayelsa state.

1.6     SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this study borders on students perception on difficult topics in senior secondary school will be carried out in Yenegoa, the capital of Bayelsa state.

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scanty literature on the subject owing that it is a new discourse thus the researcher incurred more financial expenses and much time was required in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size covering only secondary schools in Yenegoa, the capital of Bayelsa state. Thus findings of this study cannot be used for generalization for other junior secondary school  in other  states within Nigeria. Additionally, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work will impede maximum devotion to the research. Howbeit, despite the constraint  encountered during the  research, all factors were downplayed in other to give the best and make the research successful.

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