EFFECT OF GUIDED DISCOVERY AND DEMONSTRATION METHODS ON STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT, INTEREST AND CONCEPTUAL CHANGE IN PRACTICAL BIOLOGY

EFFECT OF GUIDED DISCOVERY AND DEMONSTRATION METHODS ON STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT, INTEREST AND CONCEPTUAL CHANGE IN PRACTICAL BIOLOGY

ABSTRACT

The study investigated the effect of guided discovery and demonstration method on students’ achievement, interest and conceptual change in practical biology at senior secondary school level. A total of Four hundred and sixty (460) SSI biology students were involved in the study. This number was made up of 260 males and 200 females from Four (4) secondary schools in Umuahia Education Zone of Abia State. A quasi-experimental research design (a non-randomized pretest-posttest control group) was used for the study. Cronbach Alpha was used to establish the reliability of the Biology Students’ Conceptual Change Test (BSCCT), Biology Achievement Test on Nutrition (BATON), and Biology Interest Scale (BIS). The reliability coefficients of BSCCT, BATON, and BIS were 0.85, 0.84, and 0.83 respectively. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the research questions. Hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). From the findings, it was observed that guided discovery method was most effective in facilitating students’ conceptual change, achievement and interest to practical biology. The result of the study provided the empirical evidence that interest is dependent on teaching methods. It was revealed also that conceptual change and achievement was a function of teaching methods. Students mean scores and their conceptual change due to teaching methods were significant. The study equally revealed that students naïve conceptions resistant and robust to change among others. Finally, the researcher recommended among others that guided discovery method and demonstration methods should be adopted by science teachers, science educators, authors and publishers of science textbooks.