INVESTIGATION OF TEACHERS’ VIEW ON DIFFICULT TOPICS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL BIOLOGY

INVESTIGATION OF TEACHERS’ VIEW ON DIFFICULT TOPICS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL BIOLOGY

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Biology is the study of living things, of which humans are the most prominent. Biological sciences, by stimulating human curiosity and intellectual rigor, serve an important cultural and educational function. As a result, the goal of science is to “discover the laws that govern the natural world and thus improve our understanding of it” (Liras, 1994). Science provides a wealth of knowledge that can be applied to a wide range of human, material, and environmental issues. It can also be divided into two broad complementary modes: acquiring information about the natural world through exploration and discovery, and applying that knowledge for human and material progress. Science is taught and practiced all over the world, including in Nigeria. Nigeria is a country.

A developing country with a growing need for scientifically trained workers. This could begin in secondary school with the study and application of science topics such as biology, chemistry, integrated science, and physics. Among the science topics taught in Nigerian secondary schools, only biology was covered, which included biology, chemistry, integrated science, and physics. This is because the study focuses on biology education.

Biology is one of the senior secondary school courses taught in Nigeria. Biology is a fundamental scientific topic that serves as a foundation for students interested in careers in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, forestry, and fisheries, among other fields. Any science-related occupational specialty requires a credit pass or higher in biology.

The importance of biology as a discipline cannot be overstated. It is one of them.

Medicine, pharmacy, nursing, medical laboratory science, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and physiotherapy are among the most frequently required disciplines for admission to many professional courses. Biology is required for Microbiology, Biochemistry, Botany, Agricultural Science, and Biology Education (FGN 2004). Students must provide at least one scientific topic in senior high school, according to the National Policy on Education. Biology is the most common scientific course available to all SSS students. Field studies, guided exploration, laboratory instruction and skills, and conceptual thinking were all emphasized in the current biology curriculum’s content and settings.

The objectives cannot be met unless adequate and appropriate instructional resources are made available and used to their full potential. Abimbola (2018) discovered that the biology content areas deemed significant by teachers correspond to what could be termed “Applied Biology.” in his research on “Teachers’ perspectives on important and difficult biology content in secondary schools.” The survey also discovered that the biology curriculum areas considered difficult to teach by instructors fall under the category of “Pure Biology.” Biology topics that are difficult to teach include ecology, chromosomes, cells, respiration, growth, and heredity. According to Brennen (2022), educators frequently assume that whatever subject instructors deem to be extremely important will be taught properly. What is considered difficult is almost certainly not taught. Teachers have little choice but to teach all subjects in a centralized educational system where the curriculum is largely dictated to them. As a result, science education should include both practical and theoretical activities.

for a real understanding of nature of science. According to Liras (1994), the student must connect theoretical concepts with practical aspects of real life through teacher motivation and subject discipline.

1.2 THE PROBLEM’S STATEMENT
Students’ poor performance in external examinations such as Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) and General Certificate Examinations (GCE) in secondary school has become a source of concern for education stakeholders, especially given the country’s goal of becoming one of the world’s top 20 economies by 2020. According to recent data from the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO), the quality of teaching and learning in both public and private schools has improved.

The situation worsened at an alarming rate (Osuagwu, 2019).

When a teacher has difficulty understanding certain biology topics, he will be unable to teach such topics to the students’ good understanding, so such a teacher will likely avoid such topics, and students will likely not understand the area of the biology curriculum not taught by teachers, and students may even not prepare well for external examinations in such topics. Because the syllabus and questions are based on the senior secondary education curriculum, poor performance in the senior level certificate test is possible. The study’s goal was to investigate instructors’ perceptions of difficult topics in senior secondary biology curriculum.

1.3 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVES

The primary goal of this research is to

Examine how teachers perceive difficult topics in the senior secondary biology curriculum. The study was specifically designed to:

i. Identifying the areas of the biology curriculum that senior secondary biology teachers find difficult to teach.

ii. Determine whether the academic qualifications of teachers influence the difficulty of the senior secondary school biology curriculum.

iii. Determine whether teachers’ teaching experience contributes to the difficulty of the senior secondary school biology curriculum.

iv. To decipher strategies to be used in other situations to solve the problem of difficult topics in the senior secondary school biology curriculum.

1.4 HYPOTHESES FOR RESEARCH

The following research hypotheses have been proposed.

HO1: The percentage of teachers who struggle with biology is low.

HO2: Academic qualifications of teachers have no bearing on difficulty topics in senior secondary school.

What is the biology curriculum?

HO3: Does the teacher’s experience contribute to the difficulty of topics in the senior secondary biology curriculum?

1.5 THE STUDY’S IMPORTANCE

The researcher was compelled to conduct this research on difficult content areas in the secondary school biology curriculum due to the current alarming increase in biology subject failure by students in senior school certificate biology examinations.

As previously stated, knowledge of biology prepares students for a variety of fields such as medicine, pharmacy, agriculture, and so on. For example, if the issue of cells, genetics, mitosis, and meiosis in relation to heredity and cell division is addressed, people in society will be able to choose the best life partner and be aware of cell divisions in them during embryonic formation. the area of reproduction. Disease will be avoided, and people’s living conditions will improve. The suggestions will be extremely beneficial to both teachers and students in those areas of difficulty. Furthermore, the study’s findings will be extremely beneficial to biology researchers and book writers. It will also assist institutions that prepare biology teachers in becoming acquainted with important data for planning biology courses for potential and current biology teachers in our secondary schools. When this work must have been completed by the researcher, government bodies entrusted with curriculum planning will know where to make changes. And this will eventually lead to long-term development and improvement in biology education in schools.

1.6 STUDY OBJECTIVES

This study focuses on teachers’ perceptions of difficult topics in the senior secondary biology curriculum.

It also sought to ascertain whether teachers’ academic qualifications, teaching experience, and gender are factors that contribute to students’ poor performance in science courses (biology). The study is limited to a few secondary schools in Abia State’s Umuahia South local government.

1.7 THE STUDY’S LIMITATIONS

The researchers encountered minor constraints while conducting the study, as with any human endeavor. The significant constraint was the scarcity of literature on the subject due to the fact that it is a new discourse, so the researcher incurred more financial expenses and spent more time searching for relevant materials, literature, or data.

The researcher resorted to a limited sample size covering only public secondary schools in Umuahia south local government in Abia State due to a lack of information and in the process of data collection. As a result, the findings of this study cannot be generalized to other secondary schools in other Nigerian states. Furthermore, the researcher’s involvement in this study while also working on other academic projects will impede maximum dedication to the research. Nonetheless, despite the constraints encountered during the research, all factors were minimized in order to provide the best results and make the research a success.

1.8 DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

Perception is the conscious comprehension of something.

A teacher is someone who teaches, especially one who works in a school.

Difficult: difficult, not easy, requiring a lot of effort.

The curriculum

A set of courses, coursework, and content provided by a school or university.

Biology is the study of all living things.