BIOLOGY STUDENTS

This study investigated the influence of teacher variables on the academic performance of senior secondary school Biology students in Egor Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalent teacher variables among Biology teachers, examine the relationship between teachers’ professional qualifications and student performance, assess the influence of teachers’ teaching experience, evaluate the extent instructional methods affect performance, and examine teachers’ attitudes towards teaching Biology. Five research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted an ex-post facto research design. The population comprised all Biology teachers and Senior Secondary II Biology students in Egor LGA. A purposive sample of 90 Biology teachers and a random sample of 100 students were selected. Two validated instruments, the Teachers’ Variable Questionnaire (TVQ) and Students’ Academic Performance Questionnaire (SAPQ), were administered. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while Chi-square statistics, was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that the majority of Biology teachers in Egor LGA were female, professionally qualified, TRCN registered, and had over five years of teaching experience. Professional qualifications were found to significantly influence students’ academic performance. Teaching experience was also positively related to student achievement, with more experienced teachers being more effective. Instructional methods, especially student-centered approaches such as cooperative learning, demonstrations, and question-and-answer techniques, enhanced learning outcomes, while inquiry-based and fieldwork methods were less frequently employed. Teachers’ positive attitudes, including enthusiasm, punctuality, and commitment, were linked with improved student performance. The study concluded that teacher variables significantly determine the academic performance of Biology students in Egor LGA. It recommended continuous professional development, recruitment of qualified and experienced teachers, provision of adequate instructional resources, diversification of teaching methods, and motivation of teachers through incentives and recognition.

This Study evaluated the assessment on undergraduate Biology Students knowledge on the concept of Plant Nutrition at University of Benin, Two (2) research questions served as it's guidelines, and it used a descriptive survey study design. It sought to find out the level of understanding of undergraduate biology students on the concept of plant nutrient and significantly different by sex. The study employed the descriptive survey random design of Biology students in University of Benin, Edo State and a total of (100) respondents which were collected from Biology department of University of Benin. The researcher developed achievement test questionnaire on "undergraduate Biology Students knowledge on the concept of Plant Nutrition" was used as the data collection tool. There are twenty (20) questions on the achievement test. To analyze the data collected, descriptive statistics such as simple percentage and frequency were used. The study find out that 100-200 level Students have a basic understanding of basic concepts related to plant nutrition but they lacked in-depth comprehension of plant nutrition. 300 and 400 level undergraduate students displayed a deeper comprehension and have more understanding of plant nutrition concept. The findings of the study also reveals that gender can influence educational outcomes in concept of plant nutrient, attitudes towards plant nutrition can also differ by gender, female students expressed greater interest in plant nutrition. It was suggested that the curriculum for 100-200 level students be revised to include more detailed and practical content on plant nutrition. Given that female students showed greater interest in plant nutrition, it is suggested that teaching strategies be tailored to engage both male and female students equally