EFFECTS OF CONCEPT MAPPING AND COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTION ON SECONDARY SCHOOL BIOLOGY STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Biology is the natural science that studies living organisms, including their physical structures, chemical processes, molecular interactions, physiological systems, development, and evolution (Aquarena Wetlands project glossary, 2004). The term Biology is derived from the Greek words “bios” meaning life and “logos” meaning study. It’s described as the study of life and living beings. An organism is a living entity made up of one or more cells. Biology is the science concerned with the study of life. As a body of knowledge, it offers pupils the opportunity to get an awareness of our living environment. It also helps pupils gain a knowledge of how their bodies work and the changes they go through. Scientific knowledge is acquired through scientific abilities, both basic and integrated, in the classroom.
It has been an exciting topic since its origins, beginning with the previous curriculum of Nature Study and General Science. It shines out as a distinct discipline. Biologists think that gaining information based on experimental results and accurate observation requires a diversity of experiences. This demonstrates the importance of laboratory and field learning in understanding biological concepts and phenomena at both senior secondary and tertiary levels.
According to the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s National Policy on Education (NPE), It is a topic provided to post-basic pupils (senior secondary school students). Biology is a core science subject that students of all disciplines can study. Biology and biological sciences have assisted humans in solving numerous societal challenges. Biological science includes the study of molecular mechanisms in cells, organism classification and behavior, species evolution, and ecological interactions. It is required to study certain sciences such as biochemistry, toxicology, biophysics, statistics, astrobiology, astronomy, philosophy, psychology, and sociology.
It relevance in the lives of individuals and society as a whole cannot be overstated. Hence, biology is significant in the following ways: Biological knowledge contributes to our comprehension of the natural world. It provides information about our bodies, allowing us to find cures and therapies for a variety of disorders. It also advances our understanding of other animals’ bodies and clinical treatments for farm animals (Shraddha 2017). Biology knowledge may also assist people comprehend plants and how they might benefit their lives. Biology allows one to classify and understand animals. It also teaches us what we should and shouldn’t do for the environment. Its knowledge provides a comprehensive image of the human body, including organs, metabolism, and other internal functions. It also exposes man to the behaviors of humans and animals.
Biology as a science benefits human lives in numerous ways. The use of biological knowledge aids in food production, disease prevention, and environmental protection and conservation. Advances in biology have resulted in a higher level of living. Plant production has expanded as a result of improved varieties and the development of high yield and disease-resistant plants and animals for food. According to Judge (2012), the application of genetics in biology has greatly aided the human species in a variety of fields, including agriculture, where it helps to boost productivity. Crop types and animal breeds produced by breeders can produce high yields in both crops and animal goods.
Likewise in determining the paternity of a child whose fatherhood is being legally disputed, the knowledge of Genetics has contributed immensely. In blood transfusion, genetics is useful in determining compatible blood groups(A, B, AB and O) prior to blood transfusion to prevent the problem of agglutination and death of the recipient. In marriage counseling, couples yet to go into marriage are advised on certain hereditary diseases such as hemophilia and sickle cell anemia so that carriers do not go into marriage.
In diagnosing diseases, using the principle of genetics in Biology, detecting and removing of certain diseases can easily be done. Thus, the sufferer can enjoy quality and normal healthy life. Moreover, knowledge of Biology can help in crime detection because the blood group and finger prints can assist the law enforcement agents to expose the criminal who is trying to feign innocence.
In addition, infertility problems have been resolved for some desperate childless couples due to development of Test-tube babies which is as a result of knowledge gained from Biological science. Furthermore, choosing the sex of a baby is now possible with the help of genetics. Biology is an important area of study as it reveals facts and has taken us where we are today. Some fields of study are dependent on the facts that are revealed by the studies that are carried out in field of Biology (Judge, 2012). In-spite of so much importance attached to the knowledge of Biology, teaching and learning of Biology have continued to attract varied views among learners, teachers, Biology educators, parents among others (Shukla, 2007).
Observations and reports from examining bodies (WAEC, 2017 and National Examination Council (NECO) 2017) revealed that a high percentage of secondary school students continue to perform poorly in Biology examinations, which may be as a result of their distaste for Biology as a subject (Nwosu, 2015). This poor performance has been generating much concern among parents, teachers, students and other stakeholders in the education. Growing distaste for Biologyby students in schools, which is a major factor in students’ poor performance in Biologyis attaining serious dimension.
If the situation is not brought to a halt, the result may ultimately prove injurious to our future scientific and economic development (Shukla, 2007 and Nwosu, 2015). Most secondary school students view Biology as a problematic and abstract subject, which is as a result of difficulty in understanding, assimilating and retaining its content taught to them in the classroom (Nwosu, 2015). Report from the West African Examination Council examiners (2017) revealed that some of the problems encountered by learners in understanding biological concepts are as a result of their inability to understand biological processes which is associated with the ways it is being taught in the classroom.
Although efforts are being made by government, researchers, Biology educators, and Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) to improve Biology education in Nigeria, achievement in the subject has continued to be poor year after year (Nwosu, 2015). A number of factors have been found to have contributed to students’ poor achievement in Biology at senior secondary school level of education.
Some of these factors are lack of well trained Biology teachers (Maifata, 2016, and Wmandelbaum, 2019); ineffectiveness of teacher on content delivery (Aniedu, 2015); poor students’ Biology comprehensive reading skills (Ezemoka, 2010); students poor study habits (Iqbal, 2004); and students low interest towards Biology as a school subject (Ramon, 2012). To sum it all, Ubani (2017) stressed that most Biologyteachers at senior secondary schools do not use teaching aids, and in most cases they stick to only conventional method of teaching, thereby doing most of the talking and leaving the students as passive listeners.
Considering the pedagogical problems as stressed by Ubani (2017) and others, one may observe that, in some of the secondary schools in Nigeria today, in spite of the much talked-about modern teaching approaches that are learner centered, the traditional classroom approach still prevails especially in teaching of Biology.
Classroom teachers still control instructional process in Biologyclasses, the content are still delivered to the entire class with little or no contribution from learners and relevance of biological contents to learners are still weak. Reports from researchers have shown that learning and understanding of school subjects especially Biologyat senior secondary school levels of education have been frustrated by clumsy methods of teaching (Ubani, 2017, Aniedu, 2015) and inability of using instructional approach that gives the learner the opportunity to handle and represent concepts in real life situation during teaching learning process through the use of instructional materials (Ubani, 2017).
Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) in an attempt to revamp Biology teaching and learning at senior secondary school levels, successfully researched into the causes of mass failure in Biology and revealed among other factors, teachers’ inability to use innovative teaching approach during teaching of biological concepts as a major factor. The inability of classroom teachers to use innovative approaches in teaching Biology in senior secondary schools has had a negative impact on the side of the learners (Mkpa, 2017).
The negative impact has created the need for teachers to provide activities, which will help the students at senior secondary school level of education develop intellectually.It can be achieved through the use of approaches that will arouse` students’ interest and give them participatory opportunities, since education has become wide spread and as such, exclusive oral teaching cannot be the key to successful pedagogy.
Since the poor achievement of students has been related to poor method of teaching, there is need to ascertain the efficacy of innovative approaches which include; Concept Mapping, Computer Assisted Instruction, jigsaw method, etc. Therefore the researcher investigated the effects of Concept Mapping and Computer Assisted Instruction on achievement of SS students in Biology.
Concept Mapping is organization and representation of knowledge. It shows concepts and ideas and the relationships among them. Concept Mapping is a great way to build upon previous knowledge by connecting new information. Concept maps are tools designed for visually organizing and representing conceptual knowledge (Jegebe, 2012). They allow for the organization and association of ideas without the constraint of linearization inherent in written or oral expression.
It is an active learning technique that involves representing connections between ideas in a diagrammatic way. It reveals what and how students are thinking .It is a strategy developed by Jegebe and his team at Cornell University in the 1970s as a means of representing the emerging students’ science knowledge. It was designed to be a diagrammatic way of representing relationships between ideas, words or images. The key ideas, words or images are connected by arrows with linking words that explain the connection between two points, and are arranged in a hierarchical, multi-level fashion.
The aim of Concept Mapping is to develop logical thinking and effective study skills by revealing the connections between things and helping students see how individual ideas form a larger whole (Kinchin, 2015). This active learning tool has the potential to increase knowledge retention of lessons as students are no longer passive recipients of information; in concept mapping, students must participate with their mind and attention while learning.
Additionally, by making a student’s understanding clearly visible in diagram form, teachers or other classmates can ‘see’ the thinking and learning process; errors are easily identified and corrected. Adding elements of collaborative learning to the approach can further enhance the method; students work together to debate and build the maps. Concept maps are designed in such a way that it can help students retain information for long period of time and also improve meta-cognition and self-efficacy of learners as they transit to the more academic learning environment of a higher-education. Students have a more positive attitude towards the use of concept mapping for teaching Biology (Martin, 2016).
Concept mapping equally may stimulate the imagination of students and give room for improving interest in biological concepts which may also lead to improving students’ achievement in Biology. Just like concept mapping teaching approaches, Computer Assisted Instructionapproachis another innovative teaching approach that may improve learners achievement in Biology.
Computer has made knowledge the most prized commodity. It has been found useful in education, engineering, banking sector, medicine, communication, commerce and industries. Gimba (2006) stated that computers can be used in the classroom as a medium of instruction (Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI)) for achieving effective teaching and learning.
According to Ndanwu, (2020)Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) is defined as the process by which written and visual information is presented in a logical sequence using a computer to a student by a teacher. Students learn by interaction with the computer and appropriate feedback is provided. Roblyer and Edwards (2000) also defined CAI as a teaching approach designed to help teach information and/or skills related to a topic. However, the concept of Computer Assisted Instructionis not new especially in developed countries.
It is an interactive instructional technique whereby a computer is used to present the instructional material and monitor the learning that takes place(Egara, 2010). It uses a combination of text, graphics, sound and video in the learning process. The different modes of CAI are Drill and Practice, Simulation, Tutorials, Games, Discovery and Problem solving. CAI uses all these modes to present topics and then test the students’ understanding.
It is a programme originally designed for tutorial purposes. It is a computer programme that a teacher uses to teach students various topics in different subjects. Gambari (2010) asserted that teachers can use computer- assisted instructional packages to arrest and sustain attention, present facts and information, teach concepts and principles, guide thinking and induce transfer of learning to enhance achievement. The computer has many purposes in the classroom, and it can be utilized to help a student in all areas of the curriculum. According to Ameh and Dantani (2012) CAI helps students learn by themselves, and reduce the burden of teaching.
The authors also stated that the incorporation of still pictures, moving images (video), and audio help to make learning interesting and enjoyable. Computer Assisted Instructionlet students’ progress at their own pace, assisting them in learning the material. The subject matter taught through CAI in Biology can range from basic biological facts to more complex concepts especially in those difficult topics in genetics among others.
Furo, (2015) posited that Computer-Assisted instructions applications can act as a tutor to guide individual learners. As a tool, students can use many applications under the guidance of their teachers in Biology to complete tasks. As a tutor, students can learn from a set of activities in a Biology programmed software designed to teach a given topic in Biology. In some cases, computer can be used as both a tool and a tutor where it plays a role of instructional material (Furo, 2015; Usman & Ezeh, 2011).
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