Environmental Resources Utilization and Academic Performance of Students in Biology
Environmental Resources Utilization and Academic Performance of Students in Biology
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- Background to the Study
Biology, which is a subset of science, is taught by using different methods which employ the use of all sense organs including Olfactory (smell), Gustatory (taste), auditory (hearing), Kinesthetic (skin), and optical (seeing) or which only the application of theory in teaching and learning could not yield 100% accuracy without the use of instructional materials. Thus, effective teaching and learning of Biology in secondary schools with the use of Environmental Resources is very necessary if Biology teachers must objectively achieve educational goals. Nwasu (2010) asserted that the teaching of Biology cannot be effective without interaction among the teachers, students and environmental resources. Therefore, it calls for the use of Environment Resources.
Environmental Resources refer to those resources around the school Environmental which could be used in the teaching/learning situation in order to enhance the achievement of educational objectives. These materials are categorized into two namely: Human Resources and Materials Resources. Human Biology Environmental Resources comprise all human beings or resourceful individuals who in one way or the other facilities effective utilization of material resources in Biology.
Environmental Resources Utilization and Academic Performance of Students in Biology
These human resources include teachers, learners, resources, laboratory assistants, and technologists, together with other non-professional personnel (Okoli and Osuafor 2010). On the other hand, materials resources, and facilities also known as instructional facilities, teaching aids, and instructional media are those materials available to the teacher for teaching and learning.
Environmental Resources, can therefore, be said to be supplies of teachers, learners, laboratory assistants/technologists, environmental resources, and other necessary devices made available to the school in order to increase the wealth of knowledge that gives help and support in the teaching and learning processes in secondary schools. Umeh (2014) referred to resources as materials or tools that can be used to enhance or improve educational programs and promotes teaching.
Ihaurulam (2018), Observed that there are inadequate resources for teaching and learning science subjects in many public secondary schools in Nigeria. He further stated that where there are few facilities available, most of the available resources are not in good condition. That is the majority of the available Environmental Resources are not functional. Ekpo (2015) opined that instructional aides perform specific functions in a learning situation and such functions range from simplifying teaching to making teaching effective.
Environmental Resources Utilization and Academic Performance of Students in Biology
One such instructional aid is instructional television. This is the production of a television programme directed toward helping students of a specific target population to achieve specific instructional objectives. This could be done through the transmission of educational objectives on television which can be stored in the video, Compact Disc (CD), and Digital Video Disc (DVD) and used to teach students repeatedly till they gain mastery of what is being taught.
According to Ibe (2016), environmental resources could be classified into the following categories; visual materials, audio materials, audio-visual materials, printed materials, non-printed materials, projected materials, and non-printed materials. Audio-visual aids are Environmental Resources that have both sound and visual components at the same time (Prade, 2015). The use of audio-visual aids is preferred as they are considered as 80% of the whole teaching and learning (Jadal, 2011). They keep the individual learner focused on what is being taught by the teacher in the classroom session.
Instructional material utilization makes a lesson a more interesting and memorable experience not only for the learners but for the teacher as well. They play a vibrant role in focusing the attention of individual students toward the teacher or the topic. Human beings have five senses which are doorways for effective learning, especially seeing, hearing, and touching which bring about maximum knowledge for the individual. Research has shown that people remember 10% of what they hear, 10% of what they read, and 80% of what they see and also do. Therefore, the aim of the study is to examine Environmental Resources utilization and students’ academic performance in Biology.
- Statement of the Problem
The importance of Biology in human life cannot be overlooked. Biology remains one of the core science subjects offered in Senior Secondary Schools by science students. However, the academic performance of students in this subject both in internal and external examinations has not been very impressive.
Many workers and stakeholders have related this poor performance to a number of factors including the non-utilization of teaching aids by the teachers. It is on this premise that the study is being carried out to determine the influence of Environmental Resources utilization on the Academic Performance of Biology Students.
- Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this study is to examine Environmental Resources utilization and Academic Performance of students in Biology in secondary schools in Etinan Local Government Area.
Specifically, the study seeks to:
- Access the difference in academic performance of Biology students taught using Environmental Resources and those taught without using Environmental Resources.
- Determine the difference in academic Performance of male and female Biology students taught using Environmental Resources.
- Research Hypothesis
The following null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study:
- There is no significant difference in academic Performance between students taught Biology using Environmental Resources and those taught without Environmental Resources.
- There is no significant difference in the academic Performance of male and female Biology students taught using Environmental Resources.
- Significance of the Study
It is believed that the findings of this study will be of great benefit in the following ways; It will enhance the learning processes of the students and thereby improve their overall academic achievement. It will increase the motivation of the students, add clarity to the topics taught and make learning more interesting.
The study will help to sensitize teachers and staff of Secondary Schools who teach biology to the important roles in promoting the application of Environmental Resources in teaching and learning. This is because it will provide a basis for them to understand the need for their complimentary roles in encouraging and supporting the application of Environmental Resources.
Environmental Resources Utilization and Academic Performance of Students in Biology
Environmental Resources Utilization and Academic Performance of Students in Biology
Environmental Resources Utilization and Academic Performance of Students in Biology
Environmental Resources Utilization and Academic Performance of Students in Biology
Environmental Resources Utilization and Academic Performance of Students in Biology
Environmental Resources Utilization and Academic Performance of Students in Biology
