Abstract:
The study examined the comparative effectiveness of teaching through the use of
multimedia and conventional teaching methods in biology on student‘s performance
of selected biology students in Winneba Senior High School. The pre-test post-test
non-equivalent quasi experimental design was adopted for this study. Two second
year intact science classes in the Winneba Senior High School which comprised of
twenty-three (23) students each who had biology as one of their elective subjects were
selected for the study. They were later categorized into control group and
experimental group. Students in the experimental group were taught using the
multimedia approaches whiles those in the control group were taught using the
conventional or traditional approach. Two tests namely, ―Students‘ Knowledge of
Genetics Test‖ – SKGT and ―Students‘ Achievement in Genetics Test‖ – SAGT,
which were both developed by the Researcher were used as the pre-test and post-test
instruments respectively. Questionnaires were also administered to participants of the
study to elicit information on participants‘ perception on the use of multimedia
instructional approach. The moderating effects of the teaching approaches and gender
were also tested. The results showed that there was a statistically significant effect of
treatment on students' achievement Genetics in Biology (P < 0.05). Also, gender had
no significant main effect on students' performance (P > 0.05). It was therefore
concluded that multimedia instructional approaches significantly enhanced students
learning of Genetics in biology than the conventional teaching approach, regardless of
gender and the preferred learning style of students. Therefore, it was recommended
that more multimedia instructional tools should be designed and used by biology
teachers in lesson delivery for effective and efficient teaching and learning of
Biology.
Description:
A dissertation in the Department of Science Education, Faculty of Science
Education, submitted to the School of
Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Science Education)
in the University of Education, Winneba
