Impact of Science Process - Based Approach on Performance in Biology among Secondary School Students in Zaria Educational Zone, Kaduna State

The study investigated the impact of the science process-based approach on performance in biology among secondary school students in Zaria Educational Zone, Kaduna State. Two Research Questions and two Null Hypotheses guided the study and were tested at a P≤0.05 significance level. The pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental research design was used for the study. The study population consists of 3, 929 (Male,1,623 and Female, 2,306) senior secondary school class two (SS II) government secondary school biology students during the 2022/2023 academic session in Zaria Educational Zone. A sample size of 133 (Male, 63 and Female, 70) were selected from the target population using a multistage sampling technique. The experimental group was taught the concepts of living in biology using the Science Process-Based Approach (S.P.B.A.), while the control group was taught using the lecture method. A validated instrument called the Biology Performance Test (B.P.T.) was used for data collection. The reliability of B.P.T. was assessed utilizing a test-retest reliability method. Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Coefficient statistics was used for analysis, and the result produced a reliability coefficient of 0.86. Moreover, B.P.T. was validated by three (3) Senior Lecturers. Data collected were analyzed using mean rank and standard deviation for the research questions, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to analyze the Null hypotheses; the study revealed that Students taught using S.P.B.A. performed significantly better in their academic performance in favour of the high experimental group than those taught using lecture method; Male and Female Students taught using S.P.B.A. did not perform significantly different in their academic performance in all the varied ability groups from those taught using lecture method. In light of these findings, S.P.B.A. instructional strategies enhanced the academic performance in the concept taught in Biology. This study, amongst others, concludes that S.P.B.A. training should be organized for biology teachers through workshops to equip them with learning and integrate it into lessons in some biology concepts to enhance students’ academic performance and varied abilities.

Keywords: Process-Based Approach, Performance, Biology, Varied Ability.