Impact Factor 3.

582 Case Studies Journal ISSN (2305-509X) – Volume 9, Issue 5–May-2020

Effects of Demonstration and Problem Solving Teaching Strategies on Academic

Performance of Biology Students in Senior Secondary Schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria
Author’s Details:
Prof. (Mrs.) K. A. Omotayo1, Mrs. Florence Taiwo Adedeji2
1Ekiti
State University, Faculty of Education,Department of Science Education, PMB 5363, Ado-Ekiti.
kenomotayo@yahoo.com
2Department of Science Education, Faculty of Education,Ekiti State University, PMB 5363, Ado-Ekiti.

adedejifloxyt@gmail.com

Abstract: The study focused on Effects of Demonstration and Problem-Solving Teaching Strategies on Academic Performance of Biology
Students in Senior Secondary Schools in Ekiti state. The research adopted Quasi - Experimental Research Design. The study was carried out in
three selected Schools which consisted of a total number of 148 Senior Secondary School II (SSS2) Biology Students, selected through
Multistage Sampling Procedure. The objective was to find out the differences in Academic Performance of Students exposed to Demonstration
and Problem - Solving teaching strategies. The instrument used was Biology Performance Test (BPT) which was designed by the researcher.
Descriptive statistics of Frequent Count, Mean and Standard Deviation were used to analyze the data collected, while Inferential Statistics of
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and T-test were used to test the hypotheses. All hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Based on
findings of the study, it was concluded that Academic Performance of the three groups (Demonstration, Problem – Solving and Conventional
strategies) were uniform at the beginning of the experiment during pre-test. On exposure to treatment, students taught using Demonstration
teaching strategy performed better followed by Problem- solving and lastly conventional teaching strategy in Biology.
Keywords: demonstration, problem solving, teaching strategies, academic performance, public school.

1. Introduction can be carried out by; teachers alone, the teacher with the
students, the student who is knowledgeable in the activity or an
Biology is the science that studies living organisms and how invited guest. National Teachers Institute (NTI, 2006).
they interact with one another and their environment. Biology
is an important Science Subject that Senior Secondary School This method tends to engage the students in activities and
Students offer at Senior Secondary Certificate class. Biology is requires a type of classroom arrangement where students can
also a pre-requisite to many fields of learning such as clearly view what is being demonstrated. This method tends to
Pharmacy, Agriculture and Nursing. It contributes greatly to engage the students in activities and requires a type of
scientific growth of nations; it is an integral part of life because classroom arrangement where students can clearly view what is
it is needed by everyone for successful living. being demonstrated. The sad thing is that in most Secondary
Schools, most teachers may carry out the demonstration
The primary purpose of teaching at any level of education without given the students the opportunity to repeat the task,
brings a lot of fundamental change into the learner (Tebabal and if the class size is large, students might have difficulty of
and Kahssay, 2011). In order to make teaching - learning seeing details of the objects been demonstrated to them.
easier, teachers are expected to apply appropriate teaching Problem-Solving can be defined as a method of obtaining an
methods that match the objectives, bring out result of students’ answer or solution to a given problem (Nworgu, 2009).
learning experience. Quite remarkably, poor Academic Problem-Solving is related to activity based instruction
Performance of students may be associated with application of because learning is attained when students are actively
ineffective teaching methods by teachers to impact knowledge involved. Learning by doing seems to be a good means of
to learners (Adunola 2011). To make teaching effective, learning. Problem-Solving approach enhances students’
teachers need to be conversant with most teaching methods and chances of playing active roles during lesson. This approach
be able to apply them in teaching a specific concept. Some appears to be students-centered approach as the students are
formal methods of teaching widely recognized in literature by giving tasks to solve either individually or in-group. When this
professional teachers are Demonstration method, Problem - is done students have the opportunity to think critically in order
Solving method, Lecture method, Discussion method, to proffer solution to the task given to them, thereby
Laboratory method, Self Learning, among others (Omotayo, facilitating the development of their reasoning power.
Ajayi, Fatoba & Ogundola, 2009). All these methods of Problem-Solving tends to give room for learners to receive
teaching appear to be very good and effective ways of peer and teachers’ support during the lesson and may also
communicating information to learners. However, effective arouse the interest of the learners because it is learning by
application of any of the teaching methods depends on doing. It allows for brainstorming and roundtable discussions.
professional quality of the teacher (Omotayo, 2009).
Despite the fact that Problem-Solving Teaching Strategy
One of the teaching methods used in the classroom by the enhances critical thinking and arouses the interest of the
teachers is Conventional method; a teacher centered approach. students, the researcher observed that if the strategy is not
According to Bilesanmi (2000), Conventional method is a supervised by the teacher, some students may not be interested
traditional type of teaching. However, Conventional method in finding solutions to any problem, and individual differences
has been used for educational progress over the years, and in terms of ability, interest, experience and emotion may not be
there are other teaching methods which when apply can easily catered for. Also a single student may dominate the
improve Academic Performance of the students in Biology. other students in the same group.
Demonstration teaching strategy in Science involves carrying Therefore, on this basis the researcher investigated the effects
out Science activities to illustrate Science concepts or ideas, it of Demonstration and Problem - solving teaching strategies on

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 Impact Factor 3.582 Case Studies Journal ISSN (2305-509X) – Volume 9, Issue 5–May-2020
Academic Performance of Biology Students in Senior validity, reliability was ensured through test re-test method.
Secondary Schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Scores obtained from the administration of the test was
correlated using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation
2. Statement of the Problem Analysis, and the reliability coefficient of 0.72 was obtained.
Data collected were analyzed using Descriptive Statistics of
Methods of teaching in Nigerian Secondary Schools calls for Frequency Counts, Mean and Standard Deviation and
review as most of the teachers in the Public Secondary Schools Inferential Statistics of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and t -
still believe in impacting knowledge to students through test was used to test the hypotheses. All hypotheses were tested
Conventional method of teaching in the classroom. However, at 0.05 level of significance.
Conventional method has been used for educational progress
over the years, but there are other teaching methods which 7. Results
could make teaching-learning better which teachers still
neglect for Conventional method. Previous researchers in the Question One: Is there any difference in Academic
field of education have observed that many difficulties in Performance of Biology students exposed to Demonstration
Biology seems to be related to teachers’ approach to methods and Problem-Solving teaching strategies?
of teaching and teachers’ experience.
Therefore, Demonstration and Problem - Solving teaching Table 1: Mean and Standard Deviation - Effects of
strategies were used to simplify the teaching of the identified Demonstration and Problem-Solving Teaching Strategies
concepts of the subject and to find out whether the two on Senior Secondary School Students’ Academic
teaching strategies Demonstration and Problem – Solving) Performance in Biology
could influence better Academic Performance in Biology. Metho N Pretest Posttest Mean Ranki
ds Differenc ng
Mea SD Mea SD e
3. Purpose of the Study n n
Demon 4 5.90 1.8 43.08 3.4 37.18 1st
The study investigated Effects of Demonstration and Problem - stration 9 6 1
Solving Teaching Strategies on Academic Performance of Proble 5 6.10 2.5 27.55 4.6 21.45 2nd
Biology Students in Senior Secondary Schools in Ekiti State, m- 1 5 4
Nigeria. The study examined the difference in Academic Solving
Performance of students exposed to Demonstration, Problem -
solving and Conventional Teaching Strategies in Biology Table 1 showed that students exposed to Demonstration and
lessons. Problem-Solving Teaching Strategies had mean scores of 5.90
and 6.10 respectively prior to treatment; hence, Academic
4. Research Question Performance of Students in the groups was uniform at the
beginning of the experiment during pre-test. On exposure to
One research question guided the study: treatment, students exposed to Demonstration Teaching
Is there any difference in Academic Performance in Strategy had higher mean score of 43.08 than their counterparts
Biology between students exposed to Demonstration and exposed to Problem-Solving Teaching strategy with a post-test
Problem-Solving Teaching Strategies? mean score of 27.55. This implies that there is significant
difference in Academic Performance of Biology student
exposed to Demonstration and Problem-Solving Teaching
5. Research Hypotheses Strategies.
The following hypotheses were formulated:
8. Testing of Hypotheses
1. There is no significant difference in pre-test mean scores
of students exposed to Demonstration, Problem - Solving Hypothesis 1: There is no significant difference in the pre -test
and Conventional Teaching Strategies. mean scores of Students exposed to Demonstration, Problem-
2. There is no significant difference in post-test mean scores Solving and Conventional Teaching strategy.
of students exposed to Demonstration, Problem - Solving In order to test hypotheses, Students’ scores in Biology
Teaching Strategies and Conventional Teaching Performance Test in pre-test in Demonstration, Problem -
Strategies. Solving and Conventiaonal group were collated and computed
using ANOVA. The results are presented in table 2.
6. Methodology Table 2: Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showing the
Pretest Mean Scores of Students by Treatment
The study adopted quasi experimental research design. A
population of all Biology Students in SSSII (SSS2) in all Source SS Df MS F P
public Senior Schools in Ekiti State were used for the study, Between Groups 2.141 2 1.070
sample of 148 Senior Secondary School II Biology students Within Groups 752.312 145 5.188 0.206 0.814
were selected from three selected schools using Multistage
Sampling Procedure. Total 754.453 147
p>0.05
The instrument used for data collection was Biology
Performance Test (BPT) which was designed by the Table 2 showed that (F2,145=0.206, p>0.05). Null hypotheses
researcher. The instrument was subjected to face and content were not rejected. This implies that there is no significant

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 Impact Factor 3.582 Case Studies Journal ISSN (2305-509X) – Volume 9, Issue 5–May-2020
difference in performance of students in various groups before teaching strategy performed better followed by Problem-
the treatment, in order words; Academic Performance of solving and lastly conventional strategy in Biology lessons.
Student in the group was uniform at the beginning of the
experiment during pre-test. 12. Recommendations
Hypothesis 2: There is no significant difference in post- test The following recommendations were made based on the
mean scores of students exposed to demonstration and findings and conclusion of the study.
Problem-Solving Teaching Strategies in Biology lessons. 1. Teachers should impact knowledge properly in students
through appropriate teaching methods when teaching
Table 3: t-test showing Post-test Mean Scores of Students Biology to improve their Academic Performance.
in Demonstration and Problem-Solving Groups 2. Demonstration Teaching Strategy should be employ in
Group N Mean SD Df T P teaching of Biology to enhance students’ understanding of
Demonstration 49 43.08 3.41 the subject.
* 3. Teachers should make use of step by step approach when
Problem-Solving 51 27.55 4.64 98 19.014 0.000 transfering knowledge of Biology through Problem-Solving
*
p<0.05 Teaching Strategy to foster students’ knowledge orientation
and competency in Biology.
Table 3 showed that (t98=19.014, p<0.05). Null hypotheses
were rejected. This implies that there is significant difference References
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Based on the findings of the study, it could be concluded that
the Academic Performance of the three groups (Demonstration,
Problem - Solving and Conventional Teaching strategies) were
uniform at the beginning of the experiment during pre-test. On
exposure to treatment, students taught using Demonstration

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