EFFECTS OF STUDENT’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS BIOLOGY PRACTICAL WORK ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN TURBO SUB-COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

In the last few years, there has been a concerning decline in the performance of students in biology, leading to concerns about their ability to access courses that require satisfactory grades in the subject. Therefore the current study sought to investigate the relationship between students' attitudes towards biology practical work and their academic performance in biology practical tests. The research was conducted in Turbo sub County in Kenya targeting biology teachers and biology students. A total of 23 biology teachers were purposively sampled and 245 students randomly selected in the schools. The data were collected using mixed method approach integrating both qualitative and quantitative data collection. The data collection tools were questionnaires, interview and administering biology practical test to students to determine their performance. The data were subjected to various statistical test including one way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), t test and Chi-square test. The findings revealed a significant associations between different attitudes towards biology practical work and academic performance (P<0.05). In terms of relationship between gender and attitudes towards biology practical work, female students demonstrated a higher inclination towards expressing positive attitudes compared to male students. Notably, school categories based on gender, ownership and administrative/academic characteristic demonstrated distinct attitudes and performance patterns. Femaless' schools had higher academic performance compared to boys' schools in the biology practical test, as well as in the overall Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results for the year 2022. Private schools had higher percentages of students feeling encouraged and challenged to improve their performance but reported higher levels of test anxiety and technicality compared to public schools. Practical test performance varied significantly across the school categories based on administrative/academic characteristic, with Extra-county schools showing the highest mean performance (9.23±1.2), followed by County schools (6.88±0.9), and Sub-county schools with the lowest mean performance (4.32±0.6). These findings emphasize the need for targeted strategies to address attitudes and foster a conducive learning environment, ultimately improving overall academic performance in biology. Policymakers and educators can utilize these insights to implement effective interventions and support students in their biology education journey, paving the way for better educational outcomes.