CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
Biology is the science of life and of living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, and distribution. Biology according to encyclopaedia international is the science that deals with life. It refers further to a unified group of life sciences dealing with development, growth, responses, reproduction, metabolism, evolution and the inter-relationship of all living and non-living things in our environment. Biology is a branch of science which involves the study of living and non-living things as postulated by Sanjimi, (2011). Similarly, world book encyclopaedia (2010) defined biology as the scientific study of living things. Traditionally, biology is divided into two branches viz; Botany, (the study of plants) and zoology (the study of animals).
The word Biology is derived from the Greek words “bios” meaning life and “logos” meaning study. Therefore, biology has been defined as the study of life. Michael, (2012) defined biology as the science of life and living organisms. An organism is a living entity consisting of one cell eg Bacteria or several cells e.g fungi, spirogyra and other higher animals including human beings. Biology is primarily concerned with the nature of organisms and their relationship to one and other and with their environments. Biology enables one to understand himself or herself and understand major biological processes that takes place within himself or herself such as digestion, respiration, circulation, excretion and gaseous exchange etc.
Biology like other science subjects is a practical oriented discipline which seeks to develop in a learner scientific inquiry and problem solving skills. Biology as a subject caters for the needs of a learner who may pursue his/her studies in the subject and its related disciplines. In many areas, biological knowledge can be applied in general improvement of man’s well-being as evidenced in medicine, Agriculture and Industry. Today, pollution are contributed to the health problems on earth as a result of industrial activities. These health problems could be solved with the knowledge and application of biological principles.
Biology at all levels must be adequately provided for, we must create stimulating learning environment for biological study. Biology is a practical subject which equip students with concepts and skills that are useful in solving the-day to-day problems of life. The study of biology aims at providing the learner with the necessary knowledge with which to control or change the environment for the benefit of himself, family or community. Biology is seen to be broad as life itself and its obvious needs to man and pronounced indispensability to sciences propelled the education authorities in Nigeria to make it a compulsory subject for senior secondary schools students. Biology is indispensable to science and technology and it contribution to agriculture, health and industries is on the high side.
Unfortunately, the below credit level performance of students in biology examinations and aptitude tests and the importunity of others who are admitted to pursue degrees and diploma in life science disciplines in Nigeria tertiary institutions is on the high side. This is traceable to the defective teaching of the subject in secondary schools. Oluwole, (2008) declared that only a little above fifty percent (50%) of secondary schools leavers pass the ( SSCE) biology at credit level has never formed a meniscus at seventy five percent (75%) over the years in the immediate past decade.
The average students’ performance in biology in the Senior Secondary Schools Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the National Examination Council (NECO) is nothing to write home about, the fact that some students see biology as a subject that discourages them from studying science at the Senior Secondary level is no longer news. According to the National Policy on Education (2012), The goal of primary education is the laying of a sound basis for scientific and reflective thinking while the goal of secondary education is aimed at providing well trained manpower in applied science, technology and commerce at the sub-professional grades, Hence the major objective of teaching biology in schools is not only to communicate the spirit of science but also to ensure that students acquire skills of science Ogunleye (2009).
The goal cannot be achieved when teaching of biology in secondary schools is defective but the goal can be achieved when there is effective teaching of biology in secondary schools which will bring about the desired improvement in students’ learning outcome in biology.
The oxford Advanced learners dictionary (2000) (6th Edition) put forth teaching as showing some body how to do something so that they will be able to do it themselves; to give somebody information about a particular subject; to help somebody learn something.
Teaching has been defined by wells, (2012) as cluster of activities that are noted about teachers such as explaining, deducing, questioning, motivating, taking attendance, keeping record of works of students’ progress and students background information. Farrell and Oliverira, (2013) posited that teaching can be seen as the logical and strategic acts denoting interaction between the teacher and the students as they operate on some kind of subject matter.
Teaching involves imparting verifiable facts and beliefs; It encourages student’s participation and expression of their own views. Effective teaching results in effective learning while a defective teaching results in a defective learning. A good biology teacher is expected to posses good teaching quality, expertise, proper management ability and good interactive skills. The students’ learning styles on their academic achievement in biology is not supposed to be neglected. So to ascertain the competence of a biology teacher one would need to look at all the competence of his students and their performances in biology examinations and ability to stand out in or cope with advanced area in their pursuits of further studies in biology or other fields related to it.
The urge to research into this aspect of educational concern was due to my observation and experience both in secondary school time and in my present time. These observation and experience coupled with complaints from people of various professions about the influence of genetic and environment on the performance of student in Biology. Hence, this study intends to examine the genetics and environmental factors influencing biology students’ academic performances in senior secondary schools.
Statement of Problems
Biology plays significant roles in our society. Therefore, scholars cannot just fold their arms and keep on looking and allow the standard of the subject to fall down completely without having anything done. The new national policy on education (2004) gave biology a very strong position in the curriculum thereby making it a key subject at the primary level of education and equally make it compulsory subject at the secondary school level. In the right of concern, the research would be examine the following area of interest
1. Genetics and
2. Environment
Many have debated on the relative significant of hereditary and environmental factors in development. The theory of tabular Rose by John Locke explains how the environments influence people. He emphasized that to children are influence by their immediate environment.
These factors are divided and would be examine at two different levels via;
1. Genetic factors
2. Environmental factors.
Genetics factors
i. Hereditary
ii. Age of woman/parental age
iii. Malnutrition
iv. Excessive use of x-ray therapy in some pregnant woman
v. Mental retardation of the parent
vi. Intelligent quotation of the parent
vii. Dominant and recessive gene of parent
Environmental factors
i. Parental age
ii. Availability of competent biology teachers
iii. Good environment setting
iv. Readiness of the student
v. Type of the people in the environment of the children
vi. Availability of necessary teaching aids.
vii. The types of environment in which the child lives ( Urban or Rural)
Purpose of the study
The general purpose of this study is to examine the genetics and environmental factors influencing biology students’ academic performances in senior secondary schools. A case study of some selected secondary school in Okitipupa local government area of Ondo State. It intends to specifically;
1. find out some of the general factors that influence student performance in secondary school in biology as a subject.
2. ascertain some environmental factors influence student performance in biology.
3. provide possible solution to the problems in secondary schools.
Research Question
The following research questions were generated for the study;
1. What is the effect of malnutrition on the student performance in biology?
2. Does parent assistant have effect on the student performance in biology?
3. What is the effect of hereditary on the performance of student in biology?
4. Does Intelligent Quotient of parent have effect on their performance in biology?
5. Is readiness of student have effect on their performance in biology?
6. What is the contribution of teaching aids to the performance of student in biology?
Research Hypothesis
1. There is no significant difference in the performance of student based on malnutrition.
2. There is no significant difference in parental assistant in the performance of student in biology.
3. There is no significant difference in student achievement in biology based on hereditary.
4. There is no significant difference on the effect of intelligent quotient on student performance in biology.
5. There is no significant effect on the readiness of student as regards their performance in biology.
6. There is no significant difference on the use of teaching aids in teaching and learning of biology.
Significance of the study
The specific objective of the study is to identify some genetic and environmental factors that affect student performance in secondary school in Okitipupa local government area of Ondo state. The study will help people or make people realise that genetic test is a crucial thing before marriage. It will also stimulate individual to measure their intelligent quotient before getting married.
It will also enable the parent to consider the type of environment in which their will develop their children and it will help parent to take good care of themselves in term of food they should take or eat during pregnancy.
Scope of the study
This reason work is centre on one town in Okitipupa local government area of Ondo-state. The scope of date collected will be restricted to the period of study. This particular investigation covers only five (5) secondary schools within Okitipupa.
Definition of terms
The following terms were operationally defined;
1. Genetics: This is the science of the related organism as produced by the interaction of the genes, the inherited feature and characteristics of an organism or group of types of organisms.
2. Environment: The conditions that you live or work in and the way they influence how you feel or how effectively you work.
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