TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE
CERTIFICATION
APPROVAL PAGE
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES
ABSTRACT
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Statement of the Problem
Purpose of the Study
Significance of the Study
Scope of the Study
Research Questions
Hypotheses
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Conceptual Framework
The Laboratory in Science Teaching and Learning
Organization in Laboratory Work
Concept of Academic Achievement in Science
Gender in Science Education
Theoretical Framework
Piaget’s Cognitive Constructivist Theory
Vygotsky’s Constructivist Social Learning Theory
Review of Empirical Studies
Studies on Laboratory Work in Science Education
Studies on Students’ Achievement in Science
Studies on Gender and students Academic Achievement
Summary of Literature Review
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD
Design of the Study
Area of the Study
Population of the Study
Sample and Sampling Technique
Instruments for Data Collection
Validation of the Instruments
Reliability of the Instruments
Experimental Procedure
Training of Research Assistant
Control of Extraneous Variables
Method of Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS
Research Question One
Research Question Two
Research Question Three
Hypothesis One
Hypothesis Two
Hypothesis Three
Summary of Findings
CHAPTER FIVE: Discussion, Conclusion, Implications, Recommendations and Summary
Discussion
Conclusion
Educational Implications
Recommendations
Limitations of the Study
Suggestions for Further Study
Summary of the Study
REFERENCES
APPENDICES
Abstract
The study investigated the effects of modes of laboratory activities on students’ achievement in biology. Three research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. The review of literature in the study was organized under conceptual framework, theoretical framework and review of empirical studies. In the conceptual framework, concept of laboratory in science teaching and learning, organization in laboratory work, concept of academic achievement and gender in science education were reviewed. Piaget’s cognitive constructivist learning theory and Vygotsky’s social learning theory were reviewed under theoretical framework. The empirical study examined studies on modes of laboratory activities and studies on gender and students achievement in science. A quasi-experimental design was adopted for the study, specifically, the non-equivalent pre-test and post-test control group type. The study was carried out in Jalingo L. G. A. of Taraba State. The sample for the study comprised of two hundred and ten (210) students drawn from the population of study using purposive-sampling technique. Two treatment groups were used for this study; they are group and individual laboratory works, which were assigned to experimental group I & II. The treatments lasted for four weeks. The instrument for data collection in this study was a Biology Achievement Test (BAT). Data collected from the field work questions were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed that students taught biology using group laboratory activity performed better than their counterparts taught using individual laboratory activity. Male students had higher mean achievement score than their female counterparts. There was no significant interaction effect of mode of laboratory activity and gender on students’ mean achievement score. In line with the findings of the study, the educational implications were highlighted and recommendations made which include among others that biology teachers should use group laboratory activity in teaching biology practical. Finally, the limitations of the study and suggestions for further studies were made.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Science is a special type of discipline with peculiar characteristics, the prominent among which is the approach through which knowledge is sought. This approach is known as scientific method. Scientific method is a logical, rational and systematic process by which knowledge in science is acquired. The steps involved in scientific method are observation, hypotheses, predictions, experimentations, conclusion and host of others (Ezeh, 2013). Science is both a process (scientific method) and a product (knowledge, fact and principles) (Ezeh, 2013). Both the process and product of science are acquired through education and this is specialized type of education such as science education. Science plays important roles in the society because it relates to our daily life and career. The importance of science in our society made the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Education to introduce science subjects in the nation’s secondary school curriculum. Biology is one of such subjects introduced.
Biology is a branch of science that deals with the study of living things, which includes human-beings (Michael, 2012). Biology has many branches which include; zoology, botany, ecology, genetics, morphology, anatomy, physiology, histology, microbiology, evolution, cell biology to mention but a few. Many societal issues are biology-based. These include biodiversity, genetically modified organisms, reproductive technologies, prolongation of life, food production, tourism industry (biological gardens) and processing industries. All of these issues have involved improvements that meet human needs and so this twentieth century has been considered as ‘the age of biology’ (Reiss, 1998). The knowledge of biology.....
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