Cooperative Learning Strategy and Academic Achievement of Students in Biology
Abstract
This research study investigated co-operative learning strategy and academic achievement of students in Biology in Urue Offong/Oruko Local Government Area. Two research questions and research hypotheses were formulated to give the study a guide.
The quasi-experimental design was adopted in the study. The target population consisted of 400 SS2 students (ie 100 from one school (A and B) from four (4) public secondary schools. A total of 100 senior secondary two (SS2) students were selected from two public secondary schools in Urue Offong/Oruko Local Government Area and used as the sample size selected.
The sample was selected from two intact classes. Biology Performance Test (BPT) was the main instrument used for data collection. The data obtained for the study were analyzed using independent t-test statistical method. The findings showed that there is a significant difference in academic achievement of students who learn using cooperative learning strategy and those who learn using individualistic strategy in Biology;
and that there is no significant difference in academic achievement of male and female students who learn using cooperative learning and individualistic strategies. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended among others that biology students should always form a group study and share ideas among themselves in order to promote classroom interaction.
Cooperative Learning Strategy and Academic Achievement of Students in Biology
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The quest for quality education in nations throughout the world is the foundation for qualitative development. The quality physiology and principles have become central to international educational reforms as every nation seeks quality products and services through educational renewal and school instruction (Akpan Uwandu and Ekanem (2013). This has given rise to the experimentation of several teaching and learning strategies which one is co-operative learning.
To cooperate simply means working together towards achieving the same aim or goals for common interest. Cooperative therefore pictures ones willingness to assist or help in solving problems in a joint effort often time the teaching/learning system has been seen to be one sided on the grounds that only the teachers do the talking while the learners listen. But recently, the teaching/learning process has been made to be learners centered especially in the area of science by introducing new teaching strategies that involves the learners with teaching learning process.
According to Akpan (2018) activity based strategy of teaching are the best in getting individual learners into active participation with classroom situation. Here Akpan looks at learning as an individual thing which can only take place when the learners are involves as one cannot learn for another and without being present in the class to be instructed.
Furthermore, the fact that some learners are faster than others makes the general or convention classroom to suffer some setbacks, thus to carry everyone along the teacher must often at time share learners into groups. Thus, work is sometimes referred to as cooperative learning.
For learning to be effective in this group, some strategies must be put in place. Some of such are that each group must have learners that learn at the same rate. The ages and abilities of individual learners must be known to the teacher so as to get the best from each cooperative group since we have always seen learners working together in our schools for the purpose of learning.
When the participation of all the learners are needed for the realization of a common goal, individualized involvement can be developed through the use of cooperative learning. Individual differences may be difficult to cater for in a large class of diverse individuals but when the class sub-divided into groups of five or fewer each students can be reached and the class becomes manageable as well as cooperative spirit being instill in the learners.
Cooperative Learning Strategy and Academic Achievement of Students in Biology
1.2 Statement of the Problems
Science Education is a veritable tool for scientific and technological advancement of any nation. This fact is enriched in the National Policy on Education (NPE) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2013) which states that science education should among other things equip students to live effectively in the modern age of science and technology.
Despite the expected benefits of teaching science (biology inclusive) in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination the performance of students in biology are poor (Chief Examiner, 2021). This failure has been attributed to several factors as it has become a cause of concern not only to teachers but to parents and society at large.
Most people blame teachers, their qualification, their experiences, limited available resources, strategy of lesson delivery, lack of student’s concentration amongst others.
This become a motivating background for the researcher to ask whether the learning strategies such as cooperative learning could influence the academic achievement of students since it has been noted that group work in school gets everybody involve and benefit all members of the group (Sunday, 2018).
The quest for answer to the above question triggers the researcher’s interest to investigate into cooperative learning and academic achievement of students in biology in secondary schools in Urue Offong/Oruko Local Government in view of proffering a lasting solution to the problem.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to investigate co-operative learning strategy and academic achievement of students in Biology in Urue Offong/Oruko Local Government Area. Specifically to:
- Examine the effect of co-operative learning strategy on the academic achievement of students in Biology.
- Investigate the influence of gender difference on academic achievement of students who learned using cooperative learning in Biology.
1.4 Significance of the Study
The study will be significance to student’s teachers, parents and the
- Students will become hard working whenever they find themselves so as to learn properly at all times;
- Parents will understand that there are factors that can hinder their wards from performing better.
- Teachers will always be conscious of individuals’ abilities before sharing them to work groups.
- The findings from this study will enable school administrators to provide a conducive working environment for counselors to change learning their negative attitude towards effective learning of Biology.
- This research finding will serve as reference material for further relevant researchers in the area.
1.5 Research Questions
The following research questions were formulated to guide the study:
- Do students taught using cooperative learning strategy perform better than those who learn using individualistic strategy in Biology?
- How do male students differ in biology performance from their female counterpart when taught using individualized learning strategy and when taught using cooperative learning strategy?
1.6 Research Hypotheses
The following research hypotheses were formulated to guide the study:
- There is no significant difference in academic achievement of students who learn using cooperative learning strategy and those who learn using individualistic strategy in Biology.
- There is no significant difference in academic achievement of male and female students who learn using individualized learning strategy and when taught using cooperative learning strategy.
1.7 Delimitation of the Study
This research work is restricted to cooperative learning strategy and academic achievement of students in public secondary schools in Urue Offong/Oruko Local Government Area. Similarly, only senior secondary two (SS2) who registered for Biology in 2020/2021 academic session in selected public secondary schools in Urue Offong/Oruko were involved in the study. The study also focused on the concept of skeletal system in biology.
1.8 Limitation of the Study
The limitations for this work were that of duration since the period of the research was during the researcher’s engagement in other academic work. Also, lack of finance as well as lack of reference materials was also the challenge that was faced in this study.
1.9 Definition of Terms
The following key concepts were defined as used in the study:
Cooperation: Involve willingness to assist or work together towards the same end.
Co-operative Learning Strategy: This is the learning together in a small group of five or less than five.
Individualized Learning Strategy: This is a learning strategy which the students are allowed to learn individually.
Academic Achievement: This is the score of students in Examinations or test.
Biology: Is the study of life (plants and animals).
Cooperative Learning Strategy and Academic Achievement of Students in Biology
Cooperative Learning Strategy and Academic Achievement of Students in Biology
Cooperative Learning Strategy and Academic Achievement of Students in Biology
Cooperative Learning Strategy and Academic Achievement of Students in Biology
Cooperative Learning Strategy and Academic Achievement of Students in Biology
Cooperative Learning Strategy and Academic Achievement of Students in Biology
Cooperative Learning Strategy and Academic Achievement of Students in Biology
Cooperative Learning Strategy and Academic Achievement of Students in Biology
Cooperative Learning Strategy and Academic Achievement of Students in Biology
Cooperative Learning Strategy and Academic Achievement of Students in Biology
Cooperative Learning Strategy and Academic Achievement of Students in Biology
Cooperative Learning Strategy and Academic Achievement of Students in Biology
Cooperative Learning Strategy and Academic Achievement of Students in Biology
Cooperative Learning Strategy and Academic Achievement of Students in Biology
