Análisis de Riesgo

Ngwu, Anthonia Ngozi & Ugwu, Chidinma Blessing

(web-site) http://jrsve.gouni.edu.ng

Vol. 1, pp. 177-183

STUDENTS' INTEREST AS CORRELATES OF SENIOR

Ngwu, Anthonia Ngozi & Ugwu, Chidinma Blessing Vol. 1, pp. 177-183

schools and because of its importance, more students enroll for biology in the senior secondary school certificate examination (SSCE) than for physics and chemistry (West African Examination Council, 2011). Biology is introduced to students at senior secondary school level as a preparatory ground for human development, where career abilities are groomed, potentials and talents discovered and energized (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2009).

In recent times, Biology pervades literally in every field of human endeavour and plays a fundamental role in educational advancement.

This is seen in all the technological advancement in the world today, which is because of scientific investigations. However, the issue of poor achievement in Biology remains the case in most secondary schools in Nigeria.

The level of achievement or success is measured with an achievement test and the scores obtained from it are then indices of the level of achievement. Achievement of students in Biology as stated by the West Africa Examination Council Chief Examiner's report (2018), shows that the performance of candidates was slightly poorer than that of 2017 with a raw mean score of 30 and standard deviation of 9.00 when compared with the raw mean score of 31 and the standard deviation of 11.92 of WASSCE for 2017. Poor achievement in Biology can be attributed to many factors such as: unavailability of laboratory facilities, lack of instructional materials, inadequate time allocation, large class size and lack of students' interest in the subject. One of the major remedies suggested by WAEC chief examiners' to help solve this problem is that, teachers should be engaged in seminars and several trainings to aid their teaching. This may lead to teachers' exposure to varieties of innovative teaching strategies that can arouse students' interest in the subject. Rennie, Dieking and Falk (2013) were emphatic that, students' active

participation in the learning process will enhance achievement since participation encourages and provides students with the opportunities to utilize the knowledge of science in different situations and not just at examination. Interest is often thought of as a process that contributes to learning and achievement. That is, being interested in a topic is a mental resource that enhances learning which then, leads to better achievement

Students' interest in science is very important as it motivates students to learn. Musa (2006) defines interest as zeal or willingness to participate in an activity from which one derives some pleasure. According to Derek (2018), individual interest in school science lessons can be defined as a relatively stable and enduring personal emotion comprising affective and behavioural reactions to events in the regular science lessons at school. Interest can be seen as a positive feeling of a student towards a subject.

If a student is interested in any subject, such a student will spend more time studying that subject. Such devotion of time to the learning of a subject may most likely, crystallize in greater achievement. However, it is worrisome that studies have shown a decline in interest of students especially in science as the child grows (Bae 2007, Laad, 2011 ). The authors pointed out clearly that, it is boring for a student to study science topics and difficult to appreciate its value without interest. These perceived problems and lack of interest on the part of the student is caused by in-appropriate use of teaching strategies by the science teachers (Igboko & Ibeneme, 2006). It could also be possible to investigate the gender dimension on students' interest and academic achievement in Biology.

Gender plays a major role in students' interest and achievement in biology. The issue of gender and gender stereotyping permeates every aspect of human endeavor. Okeke (2007)

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION (JRSVE)

Ngwu, Anthonia Ngozi & Ugwu, Chidinma Blessing Vol. 1, pp. 177-183

observed that the consequences of gender stereotyping cut across social, economic, political and educational development, especially in the areas of science and technology. The school knowingly or unknowingly creates gap in gender activities.

For example, grouping of subjects in schools encourages stereotyping in the choice of subjects. The grouping of Food and Nutrition/Technical Drawing, Physics/Home management compels the females to choose Food and Nutrition and Home management while the males go for Technical Drawing and Physics (Bajon, 2015). However, there have been conflicting reports in respect to gender and achievement in science. Some studies show that, there is a significant difference in achievement of male and female students (Ugwu and Nzewi, 2015) while some, show that there is no significant difference in achievement of male and female students (Godpower-Echie, 2017 and Mberekpe, 2013).

It is therefore paramount that, the issue of underachievement in Biology has been a source of worry to parents, policy makers, examination bodies, teachers and the nation as a whole. Efforts have been made by several research bodies like STAN-Science Teachers' Association of Nigeria and individuals to avert this situation but they seem not to have achieved the desired results, judging from the current results published by Examination bodies like the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO).

Research findings have shown that, several factors militate against improved interest and academic achievement of male and female students in biology. These include the application of wrong and ineffective teaching strategies in schools. Therefore, students' interest and gender as correlates of senior secondary school students' achievement in biology is worth investigating hence, the

justification for this study.

Purpose of the study

Generally, the study focuses on students' interest as correlates of students' achievement in Biology in Senior Secondary Schools in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Specifically, the study sought to determine the:

1. Relationship between students' interest in Biology and students' Biology Achievement Test scores.

2. Moderating influence of gender on the relationship between students' int e re st in B io lo g y and t he ir achievement in Biology.

Research questions

1. What is the relationship between students' interest in Biology and students' Biology Achievement Test scores?

2. What is the moderating influence of gender on the relationship between students' interest in Biology and their achievement in Biology?

Hypotheses

1. There is no significant relationship between students' interest in Biology and their achievement in biology.

2. There is no significant moderating influence of gender on the relationship between students' interest in Biology and their achievement in Biology.

Method

A correlational survey research design was adopted for this study. The study was conducted in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. The population of the study consists of 1452 students (500 males and 952 females) in the 2018/2019 academic session.

The students that constituted the population are the SS 1 Students from the above mentioned

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION (JRSVE)

Ngwu, Anthonia Ngozi & Ugwu, Chidinma Blessing Vol. 1, pp. 177-183

Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. The sample size of this study is 163 Biology students comprising of 71 males and 92 females students. The instruments used for data collection were the Biology Interest Scale (BIS) and the Biology Achievement Test (BAT). The Biology Interest Scale solicited responses on students' interest in Biology while the Biology Achievement Test revealed the students' academic standings. The BIS is made up of 20 items in a four point Likert scale with four response options. They are; Like Very Much (LVM), Like Much (LM), Dislike (D) and Dislike Very Much (DVM). Each item of the BIS has a minimum of one mark and a maximum of four marks which gives a total score of 20 and 80 marks respectively. The BAT was developed using table of specification and has 30 items with four multiple choice options (A-D). Each item carries two marks with a total score of 60 marks.

The two instruments BIS and BAT were subjected to face and content validity by three lecturers in the Department of Science Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Two

of them were experts in Biology Education while one was from Measurement and Evaluation. All the corrections given were reflected in the final draft. The BIS and BAT were trial tested on 35 students outside the sampled schools and the data collected were analyzed using Simple Linear Regression and Kuder–Richardson Formula 20 (K-R20). A reliability index of 0.79 and 0.81 were obtained respectively.

The Biology Interest Scale and Biology Achievement Test were administered to the students by their regular biology teachers in the four secondary schools used for the study in Udenu Local Go vernment Area. The instruments were retrieved after students' responses and was marked by their teachers and returned to the researchers. The data collected was analyzed using Simple Linear Regression.

Results

Research question 1: What is the relationship between students' interest in Biology and students' Biology Achievement Test scores?

Table 1

Model Summary

Model R R Square Adjusted R Square

Std. Error of the Estimate

1 .569^a .323 .319 3.93050

a. Predictors: (Constant), Students' Interest Data on table 1 shows that the correlation coefficient between students interest and achievement in biology is 0.569 with a coefficient of determination of 0.323. This shows that, there is a positive relationship between students' interest and achievement in bio lo gy. Beside s, the co effic ie nt of

determination of 0.323 means that 32.3%

variation in students' achievement can be attributed to their interest in biology.

Ho1: There is no significant relationship between students' interest in Biology and their achievement in biology.

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION (JRSVE)

Ngwu, Anthonia Ngozi & Ugwu, Chidinma Blessing Vol. 1, pp. 177-183

Table 2 ANOVA ^a

Model Sum of

Squares

df Mean

Square

F Sig.

Regression 1188.754 1 1188.754 76.948 .000^b

1 Residual 2487.258 161 15.449

Total 3676.012 162

a. Dependent Variable: Students Achievement in Biology b. Predictors: (Constant), Students’ Interest

Data on table 2 indicates that there is a significant relationship between interest and achievement. F (1, 161) = 76.948, P=0.000. This is for the fact that the P value of 0.000 is less than level of significance.

Research question 2: What is the moderating influence of gender on the relationship between students' interest in Biology and their achievement in Biology.

Table 3

Gender R R² Beta t Sig.

Male Female

.248 .253

.061 .064

.248 .253

0.879 0.928

a. Dependent Variable: Students Achievement b. Predictors: (Constant), Students Interest Data on table 3 shows that the correlation coefficient between male students' interest and achievement in biology is 0.245 with coefficient of determination of 0.061 while that of the female students' interest and achievement in bio lo gy is 0.253 with coefficient of determination of 0.064. The coefficient of determination of 0.061 and 0.064 for the male and female indicates that 6.1% variation in male students' achievement in biology can be attributed to their interest while 6.4% variation in female students' achievement in biology can also be attributed to their interest.

Ho2 : There is no significant moderating

influence of gender on the relationship between students' interest in Biology and their achievement in Biology.

Table 3 reveals that there is no significant moderating influence of gender on the relationship between students' interest and achievement in biology, t(161) = 0.879, P = 0.928.

Discussion

Analysis of data for research question one and the testing of the corresponding hypothesis showed that there was a positive relationship between students' interest and achievement in

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION (JRSVE)

Ngwu, Anthonia Ngozi & Ugwu, Chidinma Blessing Vol. 1, pp. 177-183

Biology. This is expected because it is normal for students' achievement in any subject to be affected by their interest towards the learning of the subject. When students show interest towards learning of Biology, it will definitely make the students to achieve high in the subject and vice versa. This finding is in agreement with the finding of Bae, (2007) whose findings were that there was a significant relationship between students' interest and academic achievement in science. The implication of this finding is that, when students have interest in Biology, their academic achievement improves and vice versa.

The analysis of data for research question two and the testing of the corresponding hypothesis showed that there was no significant moderating influence of gender on the relationship between male and female students' interest and achievement in Biology. This implies that gender does not play a significant role in students' academic achievement in Biology, since they were taught by the same teacher and exposed to same classroom environment. This finding is in agreement with the findings of Godpower-Echie, (2017) and Mberekpe, (2013) whose findings are that there was no significant difference between the scores of the male and female students' academic achievement in Biology. This also implies that students' academic achievement in Biology is not majorly dependent on their gender.

3. non-significant moderating relationship was found between the scores of male students' interest in Biology and scores of female students' interest in Biology.

4. Non-significant relationship was found between the scores of the male and fe ma le s t u d e nt s ' B io lo g y achievement test scores.

5. The notion of gender disparity in Biology achievement test scores was dismissed.

Recommendations

Based on the following findings of the study, the following recommendations were made:

1. Biology teachers need to foster male and female students' interest towards the learning of Biology by engaging students in activity oriented lessons, as this will help to improve students' academic achievement in Biology.

2. Counsellors, parents and guardians sho u ld t ry to enco urage t heir children/wards to develop interest towards Biology in secondary schools.

3. Students should be counselled and provided with all the necessary materials like good textbooks that will help arouse their interest in studying Biology.

Conclusion

This study emphasizes the need to be mindful of students' interest in a subject especially Biology.

It established the fact that:

1. Students' interest in Bio logy correlat es with the ir academic achievement.

2. There is a positive relationship between students' interest scores and their academic achievement scores in Biology.

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION (JRSVE)

Ngwu, Anthonia Ngozi & Ugwu, Chidinma Blessing Vol. 1, pp. 177-183

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Dr. Samuel Onyinyechi Nneji, Dr. Sunday Ogbu & Akudo Treasure Nneji Vol. 1, pp. 184-193 (web-site) http://jrsve.gouni.edu.ng

MATHEMATICAL ANALYSES OF DIFFERNTIAL EFFECTS OF