EFFECT OF USING PHOTOMICROGRAPHS AND REAL SPECIMENS ON BIOLOGY PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOL IN NANDI SOUTH SUB–COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

The study focused on examining the effect of teaching secondary school biology using photomicrographs and real specimens on Biology performance in secondary schools in Kenya. Constructivism Learning Theory and Cognitive Discovery Theory were the two theories that the study used. This was predicated on the assumption that students actively create meaning from experience, which enabled them to find new concepts to supplement prior knowledge The statement of the problem is that Biology one of the three sciences being taught in secondary schools in Kenya, has been performing poorly as shown by the Kenya National Examination Council KNEC, (2022) report. Despite a lot of interventions by the Ministry of Education to improve on Biology academic performance, the objective has never been achieved. The objectives of the study were as follows; to examine the effect of teaching Biology using photomicrographs and real specimen on students’ academic performance. Secondly was to evaluate the influence of students’ attitude towards the use of photomicrographs and real specimens on their Biology academic performance, and finally to evaluate how the use of science process skills of the experiment during handling of real specimens and photomicrographs affects Biology academic performance. The Quasi –experimental design was used in the study where a pre-test Standardized Biology evaluation test (SBET) was administered to all the study participants. Then a treatment offered and later a post-test Standardized Biology evaluation test (SBET) to both photomicrograph and real specimens groups corresponding to treatment given. The target population was 2980, where 298 form one Biology student and 18 teachers were used as the respondents. The population of interest were identified using stratified sampling and simple random sampling techniques. Standardized Biology Evaluation Test SBET, a questionnaire for teachers TQ and for students SQ and checklist instruments were used as data collection instruments to generate data. The researchers’ supervisors validated the instruments during piloting. The reliability coefficient of r=0.83 was obtained. The internal consistency of instruments was estimated by use of test-retest technique. For establishment of consistency of the questionnaire, Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient that estimates the reliability of the instrument was used which gave Cronbach’s coefficient alpha of 0.89 for students and 0.84 for teachers. The researcher then carried out the data analysis from the collected data using descriptive statistics that is use of frequencies mean standard deviation and percentages. Also, inferential statistics (ttest) were used being guided by SPSS and excel. The study found out that the students in the experimental group performed better than those in the control group, the students’ attitude were positive on the use of real specimen teaching approach and that also the students had minimal mastery of the science process skills. The study recommended that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) provide the use of real specimens teaching approach in secondary schools in order to improve performance in KCSE Biology Examinations, the Ministry of education (MOE) to provide guidelines on teacher training institutions on provision of adequate training to aid science teachers have transferable science process skills in teaching and learning and finally the Kenya Institute of curriculum Development (KICD) to take corrective measures in provision of adequate resources to meet the demands required for the education of teachers. This would in turn enable the teachers to use their skills in teaching and evaluating learners leading to improved performance in Biology in secondary schools in Kenya