THE IMPACT OF PROJECTED INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA ON THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BIOLOGY

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Several nations across the world have a strong desire to achieve and sustain national development. This can only occur if such nations devote their resources to the advancement of science and technology. Science is a means of thinking about nature in order to comprehend it (it is a method of investigation and a corpus of established knowledge) (Audu 2012). As a result, science plays a critical role in influencing how we think, investigate, produce, and utilize information about our surroundings. The critical role of science in national development cannot be overstated. According to Ivowi (2003), the growth of a nation is highly dependent on the citizenry's degree of scientific and technology literacy.

Biology, as a component of natural sciences, is critical to our nation's technological advancement. According to Nsofor (2010), biology encompasses a broad range of subjects, acts as a springboard for a variety of potential occupations in science and technology, and has applications in practically every facet of existence.

For a nation to be deemed evolved in the modern era, biology is the driving force behind its development; it is critical because it serves as a veritable amour against the misconceptions and superstitions that confuse scientific advances everywhere. It is a branch of natural science that studies the living world; how it is built, how it operates and what these functions are, how it evolves, how living things came to be, and how they interact with one another and with their environment (Umar, 2011). Biology is a requirement for a wide variety of subjects of study and makes a significant contribution to the nations' technological advancement (Ahmed, 2008). This category encompasses medical, pharmacy, nursing, agriculture, forestry, biotechnology, and nanotechnology, among others (Ahmed & Abimbola, 2011). As a scientific field, it is critical to any nation's progress, particularly Nigeria. Its developed potentials are obvious in the fields of health sciences, agricultural sciences, textile, paper, and dyeing technologies, biotechnology, environmental sciences, and socio-cultural concerns (Tutor Vista, 2010).

Projected instructional media are those modes of communication that contribute to the efficacy of instruction and assist the instructor in effectively communicating with his or her pupils (Akoja 2012). These are additional modes of communication that a Biology teacher might employ to help concretize an idea throughout his or her instruction. They encompass all significant resources that an instructor may employ to promote students' accomplishment and retention of information. They are focused at capturing or engaging students' attention, sprouting and raising their interest, and enhancing their learning through real-world examples and visual elaboration, all of which contribute to a pleasurable classroom learning environment (Isola, 2010).

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

There are a number of characteristics and issues that impact the effectiveness of Biology as a science subject in Nigerian secondary schools. These variables might stem from a variety of sources, including social environmental concerns, cultural differences, and social economic expansion (Audu 2012). These difficulties contribute to students' low success in academic acquisition, especially in a highly educated country like Nigeria.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The broad objective of this study is to examine the impact of projected instructional media on the academic achievement of secondary school students in biology. Specifically, this study seeks to:

i.          Examine the extent of use of projected instructional media in secondary schools.

ii.        Determine whether the use of projected instructional media in secondary schools impact academic performance in Biology.

iii.      Examine the challenges of using projected instructional media in secondary schools to teach Biology.

iv.      Examine possible solutions to the challenges of using projected instructional media in secondary schools to teach Biology.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions which are in line with the objectives of this study will be answered:

i.          To what extent is the use of projected instructional media in secondary schools?

ii.        Does the use of projected instructional media in secondary schools impact academic performance in Biology?

iii.      What are the challenges of using projected instructional media in secondary schools to teach Biology?

iv.      What are the possible solutions to the challenges of using projected instructional media in secondary schools to teach Biology?

1.5 SIGNIGICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be greatly beneficial to all the stakeholders in the education sector as the findings of this study will reveal the importance of using projected instructional media in secondary schools to teach Biology. The findings will reveal the challenges and also try to proffer solutions to these challenges.

Finally, this study will go further in helping researchers with more information on the effects of social media on student’s academic performance.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will be focused on  examining the impact of projected instructional media on the academic achievement of secondary school students in biology. Specifically, this study will examine the extent of use of projected instructional media in secondary schools, determine whether the use of projected instructional media in secondary schools impact academic performance in Biology, examine the challenges of using projected instructional media in secondary schools to teach Biology, and examine possible solutions to the challenges of using projected instructional media in secondary schools to teach Biology.

 Teachers and students of Biology in Akure, Ondo State will serve as participants for the survey of this study.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

A study of this nature would be incomplete without addressing some of the researcher's difficulties. As a result, the following sections address the various issues that limit the findings of this research endeavor.

i.          This study is primarily based on pupil and teacher responses. Due to the insufficient time allotted for this study, the researcher was unable to conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the subject.

ii.        Another period of extended vacation for teachers and pupils occurred in the local government region used as a case study for this research.

iii.      Finally, the researcher received no responses to any questionnaires distributed to instructors, pupils, or counselors. And this would only serve to encourage the researcher to collaborate with those closest to him or her.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Impact: A marked effect or influence

Projected instructional media: Are those channels of communication which promote the effectiveness of instruction and help the teacher to communicate ideas effectively to his students

Academic achievement: Is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has attained their short or long-term educational goals. Completion of educational benchmarks such as secondary school diplomas and bachelor's degrees represent academic achievement.

Biology: Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary information encoded in genes, which can be transmitted to future generations.

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