TEACHERS ATTITUDE AND STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL BIOLOGY IN UYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
ABSTRACT
The study investigated Teachers Attitude and Student Academic Performance in Biology in Uyo Local Government Area. The purpose of the study was to investigate how Senior Secondary School students academic performance is affected by the Teacher’s attitude in Biology. It also seeked to know if any difference exit between the mean Biology achievement score of male and female student taught using demonstration method with respect to teachers attitude. Simple survey design was adopted for the study. The sample of the study comprised of 100 students from two (2) Public Schools in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Teachers Attitude Questionnaire (TAQ) and Biology Achievement Test (BAT) were used as instrument for data collection. Data collected were subjected to mean, standard deviation and independent t-test analysis which were used to answer the (2) null hypothesis formulated. The result obtained revealed that a significant difference exist between academic performance of students taught by teachers with positive attitude to those taught by teacher’s with negative attitude. The result also revealed that a significant difference existed between the mean biology achievement scores of male and female students taught using demonstration method in respect to teacher’s attitude. Based on the finding art this study, it was concluded that Teachers attitude affected the performance of students in Biology.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENTS PAGES
Cover Page -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- i
Title page -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ii
Declaration -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- iii
Certification-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- iv
Dedication -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- v
Abstract-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- vi
Acknowledgement -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- vii
Table of Contents-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- vii
List of Tables --- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- xii
List of Figures -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- xiii
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1
1.1 Background to the Study-- -- -- -- -- -- 1
1.2 Statement of Problem -- -- -- -- -- -- 5
1.3 Purpose of the Study -- -- -- -- -- -- 6
1.4 Research Questions -- -- -- -- -- -- 6
1.5 Research Hypothesis -- -- -- -- -- -- 6
1.6 Significance of the study -- -- -- -- -- -- 7
1.7 Delimitation of the Study-- -- -- -- -- -- 8
1.8 Limitation of the Study -- -- -- -- -- -- 8
1.9 Definition of Teams-- -- -- -- -- -- 8
CHAPTER TWO
2.1 Theoretical Framework -- -- -- -- -- 10
2.2 Conceptual Framework -- -- -- -- -- -- 14
2.3 Empirical Study Review-- -- -- -- -- -- 32
2.4 Summary of Literature Review -- -- -- -- 34
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 Introduction -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 35
3.1 Research Design-- -- -- -- -- -- -- 35
3.2 Area of Study -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 35
3.3 Population of the Study -- -- -- -- -- 36
3.4 Sample and Sampling Technique -- -- -- -- 36
3.5 Instrumentation -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 37
3.6 Validation of the Instrument -- -- -- -- 38
3.7 Reliability of the Instrument -- -- -- -- -- 38
3.8 Scoring -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 39
3.9 Research Procedure -- -- -- -- -- -- 39
3.10 Method of Data analysis -- -- -- -- -- 40
CHAPTER FOUR:
4.0 Result and Discussion -- -- -- -- --- -- 41
4.1 Results-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 41
4.1.1 Hypotheses -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 41
4.2 Discussion of results -- -- -- -- --- -- 43
4.3 Summary of findings -- -- -- -- --- -- 44
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 Summary -- -- -- -- -- -- --- -- 45
5.2 Conclusion -- -- -- -- -- -- --- -- 46
5.3 Implication of the Study -- -- -- -- --- -- 46
5.4 Recommendation-- -- -- -- -- --- -- 46
5.5 Suggestions for further Study -- -- -- -- -- 47
References. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 49
Appendix -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 52
LIST OF TABLE
Table 1: t-test analysis of the mean scores of Teachers attitude and
Biology student Academic Performance. -- 41
Table 2: t-test analysis of the mean score of male and female student
administered Biology achievement test (BAT). -- 42
LIST OF FIGURE
Appendix A: Letter of Introduction -- -- -- -- 52
Appendix B: Teachers Attitude Questionnaire (TAQ)-- -- 53
Appendix C: Biology Achievement Test (BAT)-- -- -- 55
Appendix D: Answer of Biology Achievement Test (BAT)-- 59
Appendix E: Test Score of Teacher Attitude and Biology Students
Academic Performance. -- -- -- -- 60
Appendix F: Test score of male and female students -- 65
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study.
A teacher is a friend, philosopher and guide to the students. He does not teach but makes the students learn. The teachers are to sow knowledge in the form of education. The teaching profession calls for dedicated people, who will willingly accept the changes of building up generations. Any profession is noble but the teaching profession is the noblest. Koballa (1988) defines attitude as a feeling towards an object, that is an effective component.
According to him, attitude differs from the beliefs, which represents information an individual has about an object that is, a cognitive component (Fishbeiin & Ajzen, 1975) However, even though attitudes and beliefs are separate constructs, they do influence one another, what an individual believes to be true about an object (belief) determines how he/she feels about that object (attitude)
(Koballa, 1998;Shrigley, koballa & simpson,1988). Therefore, both attitudes and beliefs are important factors that may affect how educators approach teaching in the classroom (Earl & Winkelijohn 1977)
Having this researchable topic in view “Teachers Attitude and Students Academic Performance in Senior Secondary School Biology in Uyo Local Government Area”. By contrast, many other researchers (Ajze, 2001, Eagly & Chaiken,1993; Van Aalderen – Smeet et al, 2012) do not distinguish between both constructs and use the terms interchangeably. In this research, the term “attitude” will be used in this broad way, referring to the psychological tendency to classify an object in terms of favourable or unfavourable dimensions (Ajzen, 2001, Eagly & chaiken, 1993) Typically, the three – component – Defination of attitude is used, which stipulates three components: an affective, Cognitive and behavioural one (pratkaius, Breckler & Greenwald, 2014) The cognitive components encompasses a person’s thoughts and opinions about the attitude object example “I think that teaching biology to senior students in secondary school will improve their skills in other subjects”. The affective component consists of feelings a person experience in relation to the attitude object for instance “while a teacher is teaching biology he/she feels anxious. Finally, the
behavioural components constitutes the actions of a person when confronted with the actions of a person when confronted with the attitude object example “when I teach science, I never provide students with the correct answers”. (Eagly & Chaiken).
The behaviour and approach of the teacher is directly accepted and copied by students, which puts great responsibilities on the teachers. Studies performed in the current day clearly show the effect on students of mutual interaction in teacher – student relationship ,teachers approach regarding students and especially the perception of this by students. For a teacher, being able to interact with the students and display positive behavior such a asking questions , understanding their thoughts , showing interest and appreciation increases the students motivation and success. In Frymier’s (1993) study concerning the effect of positive teachers behavior on the students motivation level the author had concentrated on certain behaviours for teacher such as giving feedback for students work, complimenting, wanting to listen to students and being interested. The result of the study show that teachers non verbal actions such as smiling, having a relaxed stance, various gestures and facial expressions come first in improving the learning experience for students whereas the topic of the class itself comes in second. Low performance in science generally and in biology particularly among senior secondary school students is below average (40%) (W.A.E.C chief examiners report 2010 –2014). This trend is disturbing in an era of globalization and urbanization where modern biology is faced with various social economic and environment challenges. Considering the Importance and roles played by the knowledge, the teaching of biology should be planned in a way that biology, would be taught to students to respond to issues and changes of life in this 21st century.
The researchers are of the view that performance of students is a function of appropriate Teachers attitude, lesson delivery methods of biology teacher’s amongst others.
The study sought to investigate Teacher attitude as traceable to student’s poor performance in Biology.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The demand for graduates in the field of biological science continues to grow at a relatively rapid rate (wang 2013).
The national policy on education states that, education maximizes the creative potentials and skills of the individual for self fulfillments and general development of the society.
However, we cannot lose sight of the fact that in any teaching learning situation the students, the teachers, the curriculum and the learning environment are the four pivots. It was on this basis that this study was constructed and tested six (6) variable models for providing a casual explanation of teachers attitude and students performance in biology; in terms of teachers variable such as teaching skill, attitude in classroom, and teaching experiences, under the students variables are anxiety, motivation and level of interest.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The main purpose of the study is to investigate teachers attitude and academic performance of senior secondary school biology students in Uyo Local Government Area.
1.4 REASERCH QUESTIONS
The present studies were geared toward answering the following research questions.
(i) What difference exists between the academic performance of students taught by teachers with positive attitude to those taught by teachers with negative attitude in Uyo Local Government Area?
(ii) What significant differences exist between the mean biology achievement score of male and female students taught using demonstration method with respect to the teachers attitude?
1.5 REASEARCH HYPOTHESES
The following null hypotheses were formulated
(i) The is no significant difference between the academic performance of students taught by teachers with positive attitude to those taught by the teachers with negative attitude in Uyo Local Government Area.
(iii) There is no significant difference between the mean biology achievement score of male and female students.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY.
(i) This study will contribute to knowledge in exploring the importance of teachers attitude to the academic performance of biology students in Uyo Local Government Area.
(ii) The work will also provide the knowledge of sending teachers to increase programs most especially science oriented teachers serving under the authority.
(ii) Help them conduct induction courses, workshop for teachers, seminars on classroom management and good method of teaching biology from time to time in secondary schools.
(iii) The work will motivate both students and teachers positively in their attitudes towards learning.
(iv) It will be of help to educational planners in assessing and evaluating.
1.7 DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY.
The study is delimited to teacher’s attitude and student’s academic performance in senior secondary biology in Uyo Local Government Area. It’s delimited to senior secondary II students only.
1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The study was limited to senior secondary school II students in Uyo Local Government Area. Time was the major constraint of this research work, since the researcher was attending regular lectures and also writing examination while working on this research project. Nevertheless, the observed limitations would not have any adverse effect on the research findings.
1.9 DEFINATION OF TERMS
ATTITUDE: This is a tendency to react in a particular way positively or negatively towards any matter. Attitude possesses both cognitive and emotional components. Fazio and Roske (1994) says that attitude is the psychological and social thought in individuals, how they think about social information.
STUDENTS PERFORMANCE: According to pandey (2008) students’ performance is the performance of students in the subject they study in the school. It is directly related to students growth and development of knowledge in educational situation where teaching and learning takes place.
S. S. S BIOLOGY: Is simply a branch of science that is taught to senior secondary school students in secondary schools.
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