STUDENTS’ INTEREST AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN BIOLOGY

STUDENTS’ INTEREST AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN BIOLOGY

Abstract

The study was undertaken to access students’ interest and academic performance of students in Biology in Oruk Anam Local Government Area. The study was drawn from five (5) public secondary schools within the Local Government Area. The only instrument for data collection was questionnaire. A total sample size of one hundred (100) respondents were selected using sample and sampling technique. Two hypotheses were formulated and tested using pearson product moment correlation (r) at 0.05 level of significance. The results showed that there is a significant correlation between female students’ interest and male students’ academic performance in Biology. This means that students with high level of interest in Biology performed better than those with low or without interest in the subject. Based on the findings, it was recommended that students should be allowed to offer subjects of their interest so that it will motivate them to learn and also qualified teachers should be employed to help, not only in teaching but also encouraging students to develop interest in Biology in Oruk Anam Local Government Area. It has been concluded that, students who are not interested in Biology performed below average.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents                                                                                 Pages

TITLE PAGE                               -        -        -        -        -        -        i

CERTIFICATION                        -        -        -        -        -        -        ii

DEDICATION                            -        -        -        -        -        -        iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS              -        -        -        -        -        -        iv

ABSTRACT                                -        -        -        -        -        -        v

TABLE OF CONTENTS               -        -        -        -        -        -        vi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study          -        -        -        -        -        1

1.2     Statement of the Problem         -        -        -        -        -        2

1.3     Purpose of the Study                -        -        -        -        -        4

1.4     Significance of the Study          -        -        -        -        -        4

1.5     Research Hypotheses               -        -        -        -        -        5

1.6     Limitation of the Study              -        -        -        -        -        5

1.7     Definition of Terms                   -        -        -        -        -        6

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1     Students’ Interest and Academic Performance in Science           8

2.2     Female Students’ Interest and Academic Performance      -        9

2.3     Male Students’ Interest and Academic Performance         -        11

2.4     Summary of Literature Review            -        -        -        -        13

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.1     Area of the Study                      -        -        -        -        -        24

3.2     Research Design                       -        -        -        -        -        15

3.3     Population of the Study             -        -        -        -        -        16

3.4     Sample and Sampling Technique        -        -        -        -        16

3.5     Research Instrument                -        -        -        -        -        17

3.6     Validation of Instrument           -        -        -        -        -        18

3.7     Administration of the Instrument        -        -        -        -        18

3.8     Method of Data Analysis           -        -        -        -        -        19

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.1     Data Presentation                     -        -        -        -        -        20

4.2     Discussion of Findings              -        -        -        -        -        22

CHAPTER FIVE:   SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS AND

CONCLUSION

5.1     Summary                        -        -        -        -        -        -        24

5.2     Recommendations           -        -        -        -        -        -        25

5.3     Conclusion                      -        -        -        -        -        -        26

          References                      -        -        -        -        -        -        28

          Appendix                         -        -        -        -        -        -        30

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

        One of the objectives of secondary education in Nigeria is to equip student with a desire for achievement of self realization at both school and in future (Nation Policy on Education 2014). Evans (2005) state that interest relates with memory which is the feeling that one have when he or she wants to learn more about something. It is a sure way of determining success in academy performance in most schools. If the person does not have the interest and readiness to acquire proficiency in a field he or she is not likely to achieve any great success. This is because the person will not have the necessary drive required to train

himself or herself.

        According to Shufele (2001) interest is a content specific motivation of characteristics composed of intrinsic feeling-related and value-related initiatives with an organized force. Shufele has distinguished two conceptions of interest: individual and situations interest.

        Individual interest is understood as a long-term direction of an individual towards a type of object activity or area of knowledge while situational interest is an external locus and it is defined as “an emotional state brought about by situational stimuli” (Akinsanya, 2007).

        Performance is known to relate with interest and attitude of student toward examination and test scores in the school.

        This form the basis for this research undertaking, to investigate whether there is a relationship between students’ interest and academic performance of students in Biology in Oruk Anam Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.

1.2   Statement of the Problem

        At present, the poor performance of students in biology in secondary school in Oruk Anam Local Government Area, during the last SSCE 2014 examination was not encouraging. The data shows that out of 14 public secondary school in Oruk Anam Local Government Area, five secondary school were performed below average in biology. As a result of the research carried out by other researchers found out that, the poor result in biology can be contributed many factors including to the lack of interest in the subject on the parts of the student, poor laboratory facilities, the phobia of Biology as one of the science subject, wrongly approach to biology teachers.

        Based on this the researcher sought to find out the relationship between student interest and academic performance in biology in Oruk Anam Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.

1.3   Purpose of the Study:

        The purpose of the study is to examine the relationship between students’ interest and academic performance of student in Biology. Specifically the study sought to find out.

1. The relationship between students’ interest and academic performance of student on biology.

2.   To examine the relationship between female students’ interest and academic performance in Biology.

3.     To examine the relationship between male students’ interest and academic performance in Biology.

1.4   Significance of the Study

        This study will help the students in the following ways:

1.     On completion of this study, it will contribute to the general knowledge about students attitude towards science subjects especially Biology.

2.     The findings will be useful and valuable to planners in counseling their students and directing their energies to area where they have demonstrated interest.

3.     It is believed that the findings of this study could be pertinent for the wider-range of educational circumstance especially science educational programmes and researchers on the performance in science of its practical importance.

1.5   Research Hypotheses

(i)     There is no significant relationship between students’ interest and academic performance in Biology in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.

(ii)    There is no significant relationship between female students’ and male students’ interest and academic performance in Biology in Biology in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.