INFLUENCE OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN BIOLOGY IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NAROK NORTH SUB-COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the effect of cooperative learning as an intervention on students‟ achievement in biology. Biology is one of Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) subjects that have registered low performance for the last many years (KNEC, 2004 - 2010). The specific objectives of the study were to: investigate the methods commonly used in teaching Biology in Narok North sub county, effect of cooperative learning on student academic achievement in Biology in Narok North Sub-County, establish the attitudes of both teachers and students towards cooperative learning, establish the challenges of cooperative learning. The study was carried out in six selected secondary schools in Narok North Sub-County, Kenya, where students have persistently scored low grades in the subject. Experimental research design was employed in the study. Six secondary schools were purposively sampled from the 23 secondary schools in Narok North sub-county. Two girls‟ schools, two boys‟ schools and two co-educational schools of almost similar resources were selected. In each school, form two students were selected because all students take Biology in form two while in form three and four, they choose two sciences out of the three. Form one students were not included in the study because they were not well conversant with the school system. The topic gaseous exchange was chosen because it is applicable in real life situation. It will be widely applied in tertiary and higher education level for example terrestrial ecology. A total of 482 students and 28 teachers were used as the respondents for the study. Teachers were instructed on how to carry out the learning activity. The selected students in each school were divided into two classes and given a test before carrying out learning activity. One class was taught using cooperative learning and the other class which was a control group taught using conventional methods. Data was collected from the six secondary schools using Biology Achievement Test (BAT). In addition, questionnaires for the teachers and students were used to gather information on teaching methods, attitudes and challenges of using cooperative learning methods. Data was analyzed through descriptive statistics mostly the measures of central tendency and also inferential statistics mainly Chi-square and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The level of significance was computed at α=0.05. The results of study groups were compared. Quantitative techniques, tables, bar graphs and percentages were used to present data and make conclusion. The results indicated that most of the teachers (42.9%) use lecture method in teaching Biology while only 17.9% used cooperative learning method very often. In addition, most teachers (75%) had a positive attitude towards cooperative learning. It was also evident that 49% of the students actively participated when the teacher used cooperative learning in teaching biology. Generally, most of the students (75%) had a positive attitude towards cooperative learning. The findings of the study indicated that students in cooperative learning group outscored those in the lecture group in an achievement test. Since cooperative learning has been proven to have numerous benefits that include improvement in academic performance and enhanced class participation more emphasis should be placed by institutions on promoting this alternative technique. The findings of this study are beneficial to the curriculum implementers, KNEC, KICD developers, Biology teachers and other stakeholders.