Effect of the Ethnoscience Teaching Approach (ETA) on Senior Secondary School Biology Students’ Interest, Achievement, and Retention in Ecological Concepts in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja
Abstract
This study examined the effect of the Ethnoscience Teaching Approach on senior secondary school biology students’ interest, achievement, and retention in ecological concepts in the Federal Capital Territory , Abuja. Six objectives, six research questions and six hypotheses guided the investigation, which was underpinned by constructivist and socio-cultural learning theories. A quasi-experimental design was adopted, involving a population of 88,721 Senior Secondary II students in 76 public schools, from which 85 students drawn from two intact classes participated. Data were collected using the Students’ Ecology Concept Interest Questionnaire , Ecology Achievement Test , and Ecology Retention Test . Expert validation and a pilot test utilizing the test–retest method yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.85. Descriptive statistics (frequency counts, means, and standard deviations) were used to answer the research questions, and the independent sample t-test and analysis of covariance were employed to test the hypotheses at 0.05 significance level. Findings indicated that the ethnoscience teaching approach significantly improved students’ interest, achievement, and retention in ecology, with no significant gender differences. The study concludes that ETA is an effective pedagogical strategy for enhancing biology learning outcomes among senior secondary school students in FCT, Abuja. It was recommended, among others, that curriculum planners and developers should incorporate ethnoscience approaches into the senior secondary school science curriculum, and that teacher training programs should include modules on ethnoscience pedagogy and culturally responsive teaching strategies to prepare teachers to effectively deliver culturally relevant science instruction.
Keywords
Ethnoscience Teaching Approach; Ecology; Academic Achievement; Interest; Retention; Senior Secondary School Students
References
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