The Effect of Students’ Characteristics on the Learning of Biology
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The world is fast becoming scientific in thinking and behaviour that without good knowledge of science, it might be difficult for people to adequately function in it (Nneji, 2012). The purpose of exposing children to science instruction right from primary school level is not necessarily to turn them into scientist per be but to provide favourable scientific attitude of “Finding out” and “hand on” and to enable them raise questions about thing that intrigue them (Adodo and Oyenigi, 2013).
Biology being a science of life occupies such an important position in the secondary school curriculum. It s designed ultimately to educate individual who may or may not pursue biology related career, but at lease acquire the knowledge of the basic essentials for the proper functioning of the body system. Biology as a course of study is perceived to be very interesting, vast and experimental.
Almost all aspect of life science both living and non-living has something to do with biology, ranging from engineering to mathematics, physics, chemistry. Biology is one of the prerequisites subjects for the study of medicine, pharmacy and other applied science. The importance of biology in the growth and development of any nation cannot be overemphasized. It is a discipline that seems to be synergy with other disciplines such as physics, chemistry, medicine, pharmacy, geography, geology.
The Effect of Students’ Characteristics on the Learning of Biology
As a result of the importance attached to this subject-(biology), an element of it has been introduced to the pre-primary school through secondary school to the university level (Adodo, 2014).
The broad aims and expectations of any teaching and learning programme are productivity and positive evaluated end-product (achievement). But in recent times, observations on students academic performance in science generally, and Biology in particular over the years in the results of senior school certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) revealed that a very few number of students performed better in Biology examination compared with other subjects.
Parents and government are in total agreement that their huge investment is not yielding the desired dividend that despite their huge investment on education, students’ performances still remain poor. Teacher also complain of students’ low performance at both internal and external examination (Akorode, 2014).
Learning cannot be said to have taken if at the end of the lesson, the learners behaviour has not change in line with objective set down at the beginning by the teacher. For learning to thrive, there are key factors that need to be considered. These factors include; school location, student characteristics and teachers’ school location, student characteristics and teachers’ quality (Inyang, 2012).
The author maintains that these factors are so important that they can affect the performance of students as well as learning effectiveness of students’ characteristics as explained by Nneji (2012) are factors or tendencies that enable students to learn, and defined students characteristics as the typical quality or features that a student has to learn that influences learning success. The author identified students characteristics as major contributing factor to academic achievement in the school system. Bandele (2013) noted that the importance of students characteristic cannot be relegate. Characteristics like students study habit, students level of disciplines, student gender, students class attendance, student s age, etc towards learning of biology.
The Effect of Students’ Characteristics on the Learning of Biology
Inyang (2012) submitted that learning cannot take place without formation of student habits. This is because it enables learners to develop scientific attitudes and problems solving skills. Study habits is a regular practice in learning or studying that affects how well an individual learns or study. It is also the students’ way of studying whether systematic, efficient or inefficient. Going by this definition, it literally means that good study habit produces positive academic while inefficient or bad study habits leads to academic failure and ineffective learning.
The author further outline examples of good study habit to include; setting a particular time and place to study or learn, being organized listen in class, doing of homework’s, school assignment and project, efficient notes taking, effective reading, outlining, rewriting notes, study with friends and being resourceful. While studying or learning in a noise and distracted environment, listening to music while studying or learning, skipping class, not listening in class not doing homework, among others are considered as bad or poor study habits.
Research in recent years has focused on identifying ht key factors that promote academic success among students whose demographic learning strategy and school circumstances placed them at high risk of failure. Hasan (2014) stated that “learning strategies refers to students self-generated thoughts, feelings and actions which are systemically oriented towards attainment of their goals”.
Without making the use of good learning strategy, learners often learn passively and eventually become unable to achieve their aims. These strategies will only make one an independent learner but also an active learner by teaching him how to make use of what he/she has learning, and influential in their process of encoding, and facilitating their learning.
There are also mystifying beliefs among students about the exceptional difficulties associated with the learning of biology in general. Students fear biology so much that anyone who enrolls in it is looked upon with awe , because the course is believed to be difficult and not easy to pass in the examination, and in their different studies discovered that poor academic performance and low enrolment in science generally, and Biology, in particular in Nigeria are caused by; poor reading habit, negative students attitude/interest towards biology, gender inequality, inadequate laboratory facilities, inadequate staff motivation, inadequate instructional materials and so on (Adodo and Onyenizi, 2013).
Against this backdrop, this study is out to investigate students characteristics (students study habit, students level of discipline, student gender, student class attendance, student age) as correlates of secondary school students’ academic performance in biology in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria.
According to Adodo and Onyeniyi (2013), the importance of attitudinal outcomes in science teaching and learning process has long been acknowledged. Attitude is a very strong characteristics in learning. It determines the success or failure of a child in learning. Attitude correlates achievements in any subject as shown by as in physics, chemistry, biology, history, Yoruba, geography, integrated science and mathematics respectively. Similarly, reported that, attitude is a crucial factor for learning.
It is further stated that, it would be a serious omission in the process of socializing children, if the formation of preferred attitude and evaluation of attitude are not deliberately planned for, and include in school curriculum. It also revealed that learners bring the attitude they acquired into the classroom and this has the capacity to facilitate or hinder learning rate. He then recommended that significant efforts should be made to develop and evaluate attitude-shaping techniques for the benefits of the students in the school. In consonance with this, students’ positive attitude in science correlates highly with their science achievement.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Inspite of the enormous role that biological science plays in natural development and the efforts of government and other stakeholders in improving biological science education, science results in most certified examinations have not been satisfactory. Many factors have been attributed to this ugly and unwholesome situation. These factors include; students’ lack of interest in science subject, gender inequality and student study habits.
It is observed that students shows more positive attitudes after been exposed to self-learning strategy such as computer and text assisted programmed which tends to affect the learning of science negatively instead of using cooperative learning strategy.
It is an established fact that science and technology education in democratic government for sustainable national development, assert that unimpressive response to science education is particularly evident in students’ poor performance in science subjects at secondary school level. Similarly, observed lack of interest in science subjects by students due to preconceived idea that sciences are difficult subjects, and this has affected the enrolment and performance of students in sciences.
The above problems prompted the researcher to carry out the research on the topic “students’ characteristics and learning of biology among secondary school students in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area”.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of students’ characteristics on the learning of Biology.
Specifically, the study sought to;
- Examine the effects of study habit used by students on learning Biology in secondary schools,
- Assess the effects of students attitude towards the learning of biology in secondary schools.
1.4 Research Questions
The study sought answers to the following research questions;
- How does study habit used by students affect the learning of Biology in secondary schools?
- How does students’ attitude affect the learning of Biology in secondary schools?
1.5 Significance of the study
The findings of this study shall be of immense important to students, teachers, policy makers and educators. Teachers who are saddled with the tasks of implementing the curriculum, this study will be able to teach students on how to select suitable study habits and learning strategies in learning process.
To the policy makers and counselors, the finding will help them to identify those factors responsible for effective learning in the part of students and make policy as well as counseling them so to meet their individual differences. Parents whom the students spent quality of their time with the student will help them to know those variables that affect their child academic success. The finding will serve as reference materials and guide to students on how to learn science and enhance effective learning process as well as boosting their academic performances.