RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF PRACTICAL AND PROJECT-BASED LEARNING ON STUDENTS’ SCIENCE PROCESS SKILL ACQUISITION IN BIOLOGY IN AGUATA EDUCATION ZONE

Abstract

The study explored the relative effectiveness of practical and project-based learning on students’ science process skill acquisition in Biology in Aguata Education zone of Anambra State. Three purposes of study, two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study and relevant literature were also reviewed. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design with a population of 1098 and sample of 105 (57 males and 48 females) of SS 2 Biology students. The sample was obtained using multi-stage sampling procedure. Science Process Skill Acquisition Test was used as instrument for data collection. The instruments were subjected to face and content validation. SPSAT reliability of 0.94 was established using Kudder Richardson 20. Mean and Standard Deviation were used to answer the research questions while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that students in the practical based learning group have higher science process skill acquisition score than those in project-based learning group. However, there was no significant differences in students’ science process skill acquisition of observing, inferring, classifying, communicating, measuring, and predicting. The study also observed that female students have higher science process skill acquisition than their male counterpart in the use of practical based learning while male students’ science process skill acquisition is better than their female counterpart in the use of project-based learning. From the findings it was concluded that practical based learning boosts science-process skills acquisition in Biology. From the conclusions, implication was that stake holders should advocate for universal, equitable and varied instructional strategies. Teacher’s adoption of a blended approach that leverage strengths of both methods was recommended.