Knowledge of Scientific Process Skills and Students’ Academic Achievement in Senior Secondary School Biology in Calabar Municipality of Cross River State, Nigeria.

Abstract

This study investigated knowledge of scientific process skills and students’ academic achievement in senior secondary school Biology in Calabar Municipality of Cross River State, Nigeria. Two (2) research questions and two (2) hypotheses guided the study in which
a correlation design was adopted. A sample of 150 senior secondary school two (SS 2) science students was drawn from four intact classes in four secondary schools. Instruments used for data collection were the Knowledge of Science Process Skills Acquisition test (KSPSAT) and the Biology Achievement Test (BAT). SPSAT was made up of 12 items and BAT was made up of 30 items with four options (A-D). One research expert and biology education lecturer from Rivers State University validated instruments. The reliability coefficient of 0.75 and 0.78 respectively was obtained using the test-retest method and Kuder Richardson 20 formula. Data obtained were analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis at.05 level significance. The findings of the study showed that students’ knowledge of scientific process skills in observation, measuring, classification, and predicting have no significant influence on their achievement in Senior Secondary School Biology. This is notwithstanding the higher achievement of those with knowledge of scientific process skills.
Therefore, It was recommended that the State Ministry of Education should equip schools with biology teaching aids and employ only qualified biology teachers. These teachers can expose their students to knowledge of scientific process skills in observation, measuring,
classification, and predicting.