EFFECT OF CONCEPT MAPPING INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY ON STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND RETENTION IN BIOLOGY IN SECONDAR SCHOOLS IN ODUKPANI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF CROSS RIVER STATE
Effiong, Effiom Etim, Ph.D
08162580639
ORCHID ID: 0009000787449191
Department of Biology Education, Faculty of Science Education
University of Calabar, Calabar
Igwebuike, Osedumme, PhD
Department of Curriculum and Teaching
University of Calabar, Calabar
Inyene-Obong Sunday Umoh
Department of Biology Education
University of Calabar, Calabar
Abstract
The present study examined the effect of concept mapping instructional strategy on students' academic performance and retention in Biology in secondary schools in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State. Specifically, the study determined the difference in the academic performance of students taught Biology using the concept mapping instructional strategy and those taught using the conventional teaching method, as well as the difference in the retention of Biology concepts between students taught using the concept mapping instructional strategy and those taught using the conventional teaching method. Two research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study adopted a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental research design involving an experimental group and a control group. The population of the study comprised 2,356 Senior Secondary II (SS II) Biology students drawn from the 32 public secondary schools in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State. A sample of 240 SS II students in Biology was selected using multistage sampling procedures involving purposive, simple random, and intact class sampling techniques. The experimental group was taught selected Biology concepts using the Concept Mapping Instructional Strategy (CMIS), while the control group was taught the same concepts using the Conventional Teaching Method (CTM). Data were collected using the Biology Achievement Test (BAT) developed by the researcher. The instrument was validated by experts in Biology Education and Measurement and Evaluation from the University of Calabar. The reliability of the Biology Achievement Test (BAT) was established using the Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20), which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.84, indicating that the instrument was reliable for the study. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while Independent t-test analyses) was employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance, using the pretest scores as covariates to control for initial differences between the groups. The findings revealed that students taught Biology using the concept mapping instructional strategy performed significantly better and demonstrated higher retention of Biology concepts than their counterparts taught using the conventional teaching method. The study concluded that concept mapping instructional strategy is a more effective instructional approach for improving students' academic performance and retention in Biology than the conventional teaching method. Consequently, it was recommended among other that Biology teachers adopt concept mapping instructional strategy in classroom instruction.
Keywords: Concept Mapping Instructional Strategy, Conventional Teaching Method, Biology Achievement Test, Academic Performance, Retention. Download PDF