Assessing the impact of science resource centre project (III) on students’ performance in biology in some selected senior high schools in the Upper West Region

Abstract

The study investigated the impact of Science Resource Centre Project III on students’ performance in biology in some selected schools in Upper West Region, Ghana. The study adopted a quantitative survey design. The study involved 6 biology teachers and 6 heads of departments from 6 public senior high schools and two batches of final year biology students (2013 and 2015 batches) were used to collect data for the study. The 12 teachers and 6 schools chosen as participants were purposively selected. The instruments used to collect data in the study were document analysis (2013 and 2015 biology WASSCE results) and a questionnaire for teacher respondents. Data collected were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The results for analysis of WASSCE results showed that the average WASSCE pass rate in biology in 2013 (before the implementation of the SRC Project III) was 98.1% and that of 2015 (after the implementation of the SRC Project III) was 54.2%, indicating a decrease in pass rate of 43.9% in 2015. The study indicated that familiar and easy to manipulate materials and equipment were utilized to a greater extent while sophisticated biology laboratory material resources and ICT based equipment and materials were not used at all. Also the study identified some challenges teachers encountered and that hinder the operations of science resource centres. The study concluded that the SRC Project III did not improve on students’ performance in biology. The Study recommended that further in-service training be done for biology teachers for them to effectively use these sophisticated equipment/materials. The study also suggested that further research be conducted in all parts of the country in other science subjects in order to ascertain an all-round impact of SRC Project III on students’ performance in Science.