Effects of collaborative concept mapping teaching approach on secondary school students’ achievement in biology in Nakuru North Sub-county, Kenya

Abstract

Rahab W. Githae, Fred N. Keraro and Samuel W. Wachanga

This study sought to address the problem of ineffective instruction by teachers by investigating effects of Collaborative Concept Mapping Teaching Approach (CCMTA) on students’ achievement in biology. The study used a Quasi-experimental research design, the Solomon Four Non-Equivalent Control Group Design. The study sample comprised of 202 Form two biology students and four biology teachers in four secondary schools. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the four schools from which a single stream per school was selected by simple random sampling. The four schools were randomly assigned into two experimental and two control groups E1 & E2, C1 & C2 respectively. A Biology Achievement Test (BAT) was used for data collection. Five educational research experts and three experienced biology teachers validated the research tool. Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient used to estimate its reliability and yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.86. Groups E1 and C1 were pre-tested prior to the intervention. The intervention period was three weeks after which all groups were posttested. One-way ANOVA, t-test and ANCOVA were used to analyse the data generated with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) science scores for the sampled groups were used as covariates to adjust for possible pre-existing differences. Hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The findings indicated that CCMTA had a significant effect on achievement in biology. The findings further indicate that there was no statistically significant gender difference in achievement after the intervention. It was concluded that CCMTA enhances the learning of school biology, minimizes the gender disparities often experienced in achievement of science subjects in secondary schools. The findings from this study provide a basis for improvement of in-service and pre-service biology teacher training programmes. It was, therefore, recommended that CCMTA be emphasized both in the pre-service and in-service teacher education programmes.