Status of Biology Practical in Secondary Schools in Edati Local Government Area of Niger State.

Abstract

The study investigated the status of practical Biology in secondary schools in Edati Local Government Area of Niger State. The population comprised all secondary school Biology teachers and students in Edati Local Government Area. The samples were 27 Biology teachers and 220 randomly selected students from six randomly selected schools. The instrument used for data generation was Status of Biology Practical Work Questionnaire (SBPWQ) which was validated and found reliable with Cronbach Alpha coefficient of .75. Two research questions and hypotheses were raised to guide the study. Data were analyzed with mean, standard deviation and independent t-test. Results revealed that Practical Biology is poorly and inadequately conducted, there are inadequate Biology Practical facilities in the schools, there is shortage of laboratory technicians, and teachers use lecture method in practical classes instead of practical oriented teaching methods, and no active and constant participation of students in practical classes. It was recommended among others that seminars, workshops and conferences be organized by schools with government supports for science teachers as to update them with knowledge and skills in practical teaching which will boost effective learning of Biology and avert poor performance in WAEC and NECO examinations.