Computer Simulation, Guided Discovery, and Expository Methods of Teaching Ecological Management and Biology Students’ Academic Achievement in Osisioma, Abia State

Abstract

The study is an empirical examination of computer-simulation, guided-discovery, and expository methods of teaching ecological management and biology students’ academic achievement and retention in Osisioma, Abia State. Three research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. The design of the study was quasi-experimental with a non-randomized pretest, posttest control group factorial design. The population consisted of all 5,102 Senior Secondary School Two (SS 2) biology students. The sample size of 183 (88 males and 95 females) Senior Secondary Two (SS 2) students in three intact classes of three co-educational secondary schools in Osisioma Local Government Area, Abia State, was selected using a purposive sampling technique. The Biology Achievement Test (BAT) was used for data collection. The Biology Achievement Test (BAT) had fifty (50) multiple-choice items. The test measured students’ pretest, posttest, and achievement in the concept. The reliability of BAT was determined using the test-retest method with a reliability index of 0.75. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The result showed that there is a significant difference among the mean achievement scores of biology students taught ecological management using computer simulation, guided discovery, and expository methods, respectively. In addition, there exists no significant difference among the mean achievement scores of male and female biology students taught ecological management using computer simulation, guided discovery, and expository methods, respectively. More so, there exist significant interaction effects of instructional methods and gender on biology students’ achievement scores on ecological management. It was concluded that computer-simulation and guided-discovery methods were more effective than expository methods in facilitating students’ achievement in ecological management in biology. Based on the findings, it was recommended, among others, that biology teachers should make effective use of computer simulations and guided-discovery methods in teaching the concept of ecological management in biology.