EFFECT OF LABORATORY PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN BIOLOGY: A CASE OF GHANAIAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS
Keywords:
Academic performance, biology, laboratory, practical, senior high school
Abstract
The study examines the impact of laboratory experiments on the academic performance of biology students in some selected senior high schools in the Bono Region of Ghana. The key objectives were to establish the key factors influencing the effectiveness of such experiments, determine their impact on students' performance, and examine how exposure to the real world enhances scientific attitudes. The study involved 250 students from SHS1 and SHS2. The data were collected through a structured questionnaire, and composite reliability measures were used to test the instrument's reliability. The descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS (version 27), whereas Smart PLS (version 4) was used to determine structural relationships between the variables. The findings indicated a high positive correlation between laboratory practical activities and the academic performance of students. Moreover, the data indicated that participation in these activities enhanced the development of students' scientific attitude to a great extent. The findings conform to those of previous studies, which support the contribution of practical activities in academic improvement and the formation of scientific attitudes. Based on these findings, this study recommends reinforcing laboratory facilities, increasing the number of practical classes, and continually training teachers so that the overall educational value gained from practical exercise in biology may be optimized.
References
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Kapici, H. O., Akcay, H., & de Jong, T. (2020). How do different laboratory environments influence students’ attitudes toward science courses and laboratories? Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 52(4), 534-549.
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Lunetta, V. N., Hofstein, A., & Clough, M. P. (2013). Learning and teaching in the school science laboratory: An analysis of research, theory, and practice. In Handbook of research on science education (pp. 393-441). Routledge.
MacKinnon, R. (2008). Flatter world and thicker walls? Blogs, censorship and civic discourse in China. Public Choice, 134(1-2), 31-46.
Manishimwe, H., Shivoga, W. A., & Nsengimana, V. (2022). Effect of inquiry-based learning on students’ attitude towards learning biology at upper secondary schools in Rwanda. Journal of Education and Practice, 13(5), 45-56.
Mantula, F., Mpofu, A. C., Mpofu, F. Y., & Shava, G. N. (2024). Qualitative Research Approach in Higher Education: Application, Challenges and Opportunities. East African Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 5(1), 1-10.
Miller, R. L., & Brewer, J. D. (Eds.). (2003). The AZ of social research: A dictionary of key social science research concepts. Sage Publications.
Mukagihana, C., Nsangawimana, F., & Aurah, C. M. (2021). The impact of animations-based instructions and small-group laboratory activities on preservice biology teachers in microbiology classes. Journal of Education and Practice, 12(9), 35-45.
Nitzl, C. (2016). The use of partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) in management accounting research: Directions for future theory development. Journal of Accounting Literature, 37(1), 19-35.
Okeke, J. (2009). Enhancing science education in developing countries: A pathway to economic advancement and improved standard of living. Journal of Education Resource (2), 145-160.
Osei-Owusu, B. (2022). Impact of professional development programmes on teachers’ knowledge and academic performance of senior high school students in Ghana. European Journal of Education and Pedagogy, 3(2), 60-69.
Rady, M., Kineber, A. F., Hamed, M. M., & Daoud, A. O. (2023). Partial least squares structural equation modeling of constraint factors affecting project performance in the egyptian building industry. Mathematics, 11(3), 497.
Ramirez, F. O., Meyer, J. W., & Lerch, J. (2016). World society and the globalization of educational policy. The handbook of global education policy, 43-63.
Rodriguez-Manfredi, J. A., De la Torre Juárez, M., Alonso, A., Apéstigue, V., Arruego, I., Atienza, T., & MEDA team. (2021). The mars environmental dynamics analyser, MEDA. A suite of environmental sensors for the Mars 2020 mission. Space Science Reviews, 217, 1-86.
Rossiter, J. R. (2002). The C-OAR-SE procedure for scale development in marketing. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 19(4), 305-335.
Russell, C. B., & Weaver, G. C. (2011). A comparative study of traditional, inquiry-based, and research-based laboratory curricula: impacts on understanding of the nature of science. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 12(1), 57-67.
Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., Henseler, J., & Hair, J. F. (2017). On the emancipation of PLS-SEM: A commentary on Rigdon (2012). Long Range Planning, 47(3), 154-160.
Souto, P. R., Silva, A. F., & Neves, L. G. (2020). The role of iconological experiments in fostering scientific attitudes and competencies in biology education. International Journal of Science Education, 42(6), 789- 805.
Tordzro, G., Asamoah, E., & Ofori, K. N. (2021). Biology education in perspective: An inquiry into Ghanaian senior high students’ attitude towards biology practical lessons. Asian Research Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 15(4), 82-94.
Ude, M. E., &Ebuoh, C.N. (2019). Investigating the effectiveness of teaching biology through practical activities compared to conventional methods. International Journal of Biology Education Research, 7(2), 123-132.
Akotuko, E. A., Pappoe, A. N. M., Azure, J. A., & Ameyaw, Y. (2021). Effect of multimodal instructional approach on students’ academic performance in the concept of biological classification. Journal of Education and Practice, 5(1), 36-51.
Alimehmeti, G., Fia, M., & Paletta, A. (2024). The sustainability-to-employment pipeline: the impact of SDG-related curricula on graduates’ employability. Studies in Higher Education, 1-15.
Bagozzi, R. P., & Yi, Y. (1988). On the evaluation of structural equation models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 16, 74-94.
Bauer, E. L., Jones, M. A., Smith, R. P. (2020). Examining the impact of dual domain pedagogy on academic performance in biology courses. Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 15(3), 123- 145.
Bello, G., Alabi, H. I., Ahmed, A. R., Sulaiman, M. M. S., Bello, Z. A. B., & Bello, A. A. B. (2020). Biology education and bio entrepreneur opportunities in Nigeria. Nigerian Online Journal of Educational Sciences and Technology, 1(2), 1-17.
Byukusenge, C., Nsanganwimana, F., & Tarmo, A. P. (2022). Effectiveness of virtual laboratories in teaching and learning biology: A review of literature. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 21(6), 1-17.
Cakir, H., Kokoc, M., Arsian, Y., &Horzum, M. B. (2020). The effect if mobile augmented reality in biology education on academic achievement and attitudes towards technology. Computers and Education, 144, 103710.
Cohen, S. (1988). Perceived stress in a probability sample of the United States. In S. Spacapan& S. Oskamp (Eds.), The social psychology of health (pp. 31-67). Sage Publications.
Eduardo, M., Rosa, L., & Welker, T. (2019). Exploring the effects of self-experimentation in practical biology class. Journal of Biological Education, 53(4), 402-410.
Flores, D. R., & Perez, H. D. (2022). Parent-school-community Involvement in the academic performance of senior high school students-GAS (Grade 11 and 12) in one public high school in the New Normal: Towards Project ISLA. American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, 1(1), 74-85.
Forenell, C., &larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement errors. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39-50.
Gazieva, L., Valeev, S., & Anokhina, O. (2023). The Role of Biotechnology and Biotechnology Clusters in Global and Regional Economy Development. In BIO Web of Conferences (Vol. 76, p. 10004). EDP Sciences.
Hair, J. F., Hollingsworth, C. L., Randolph, A. B., & Chong, A. Y. L. (2017b). An updated and expanded assessment of PLS-SEM in information systems research. Industrial Management and Data System, 117(3), 442-458.
Hair, J. F., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2013). Partial least squares structural equation modeling: Rigorous applications, better results and higher acceptance. Long Range Planning, 46(1-2), 1-12.
Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2-24.
Hair, J.F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringer, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2014). A primer on partial least squares structural equation models (PLS-SEM). SAGE Publications.
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modelling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43, 115-135.
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sinkovics, R. R. (2009). The use of partial least squares path modeling in international marketing. Advances in International Marketing, 20, 277-319.
Hewitt, K. (2019). The idea of calamity in a technocratic age. In interpretations of calamity 3-32. Routledge, Allen & Unwin
Inayah, N., Rahman, A., Syahrul, R., & Hakim, A. (2020). Exploring the effects of virtual laboratory experiences: A focus on virtual laboratory protists. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 29(5), 611-620.
Kanamitie, J. N., Nketsiah, J., & Asenso, K. (2023). English language proficiency: A predictor of academic performance in biology. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 7(3), 358-367.
Kapici, H. O., Akcay, H., & de Jong, T. (2020). How do different laboratory environments influence students’ attitudes toward science courses and laboratories? Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 52(4), 534-549.
Liu, X., Zhang, Y., Chen, L., & Wang, J. (2022). Assessing academic achievement and student satisfaction in the industrial innovation an entrepreneurship talent (IIETC) program. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 10(5), 67-78.
Lunetta, V. N., Hofstein, A., & Clough, M. P. (2013). Learning and teaching in the school science laboratory: An analysis of research, theory, and practice. In Handbook of research on science education (pp. 393-441). Routledge.
MacKinnon, R. (2008). Flatter world and thicker walls? Blogs, censorship and civic discourse in China. Public Choice, 134(1-2), 31-46.
Manishimwe, H., Shivoga, W. A., & Nsengimana, V. (2022). Effect of inquiry-based learning on students’ attitude towards learning biology at upper secondary schools in Rwanda. Journal of Education and Practice, 13(5), 45-56.
Mantula, F., Mpofu, A. C., Mpofu, F. Y., & Shava, G. N. (2024). Qualitative Research Approach in Higher Education: Application, Challenges and Opportunities. East African Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 5(1), 1-10.
Miller, R. L., & Brewer, J. D. (Eds.). (2003). The AZ of social research: A dictionary of key social science research concepts. Sage Publications.
Mukagihana, C., Nsangawimana, F., & Aurah, C. M. (2021). The impact of animations-based instructions and small-group laboratory activities on preservice biology teachers in microbiology classes. Journal of Education and Practice, 12(9), 35-45.
Nitzl, C. (2016). The use of partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) in management accounting research: Directions for future theory development. Journal of Accounting Literature, 37(1), 19-35.
Okeke, J. (2009). Enhancing science education in developing countries: A pathway to economic advancement and improved standard of living. Journal of Education Resource (2), 145-160.
Osei-Owusu, B. (2022). Impact of professional development programmes on teachers’ knowledge and academic performance of senior high school students in Ghana. European Journal of Education and Pedagogy, 3(2), 60-69.
Rady, M., Kineber, A. F., Hamed, M. M., & Daoud, A. O. (2023). Partial least squares structural equation modeling of constraint factors affecting project performance in the egyptian building industry. Mathematics, 11(3), 497.
Ramirez, F. O., Meyer, J. W., & Lerch, J. (2016). World society and the globalization of educational policy. The handbook of global education policy, 43-63.
Rodriguez-Manfredi, J. A., De la Torre Juárez, M., Alonso, A., Apéstigue, V., Arruego, I., Atienza, T., & MEDA team. (2021). The mars environmental dynamics analyser, MEDA. A suite of environmental sensors for the Mars 2020 mission. Space Science Reviews, 217, 1-86.
Rossiter, J. R. (2002). The C-OAR-SE procedure for scale development in marketing. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 19(4), 305-335.
Russell, C. B., & Weaver, G. C. (2011). A comparative study of traditional, inquiry-based, and research-based laboratory curricula: impacts on understanding of the nature of science. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 12(1), 57-67.
Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., Henseler, J., & Hair, J. F. (2017). On the emancipation of PLS-SEM: A commentary on Rigdon (2012). Long Range Planning, 47(3), 154-160.
Souto, P. R., Silva, A. F., & Neves, L. G. (2020). The role of iconological experiments in fostering scientific attitudes and competencies in biology education. International Journal of Science Education, 42(6), 789- 805.
Tordzro, G., Asamoah, E., & Ofori, K. N. (2021). Biology education in perspective: An inquiry into Ghanaian senior high students’ attitude towards biology practical lessons. Asian Research Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 15(4), 82-94.
Ude, M. E., &Ebuoh, C.N. (2019). Investigating the effectiveness of teaching biology through practical activities compared to conventional methods. International Journal of Biology Education Research, 7(2), 123-132.
Published
2025-06-01
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