Undergraduate Project

This study evaluated the conceptual understanding of plant taxonomy and investigated the teaching methods employed among undergraduate students at the University of Benin, Benin City. It was guided by four research questions. The population of the study comprised 178 fourth-year undergraduate students from the Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology (PBB) and the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Technology (CIT) - Biology Education and the sample size of 118 students. A descriptive survey research design using a quantitative approach was adopted. Data were collected using a Plant Taxonomy Conceptual Understanding Diagnostic Test (PTCUDT) and a structured questionnaire and were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results indicated that only 18.56% of the students had a strong conceptual understanding and 81.44% of the students scored below the 70% threshold. The only statistically significant correlation found with conceptual understanding was prior knowledge (r = 0.251, p = 0.013). Teaching approaches (r = 0.079, p = 0.444) and student interest (r = 0.124, p = 0.225) were not statistically significant. The most highly rated teaching method was experiential learning through field trips and the least highly rated was lecture based delivery. Students showed low interest in plant taxonomy with examination-driven motivation and rote memorization as the dominant learning orientations. The study recommends incorporating conceptual change strategies such as the 5E instructional model, systematizing field-based and herbarium activities as core curricular components, integrating AI-assisted plant identification tools and reforming assessment practices to measure conceptual reasoning over rote recall. Professional development for instructors in active learning pedagogies is also recommended.

This study investigates the stylistic rendition of hymns in selected Pentecostal churches in Benin City, Nigeria.
While African Christian music has received considerable scholarly attention, limited studies have provided detailed stylistic and ethnographic analyses of hymn performance within Edo State’s unique socio-cultural context, as most focus on broader or Yorùbá settings. This research fills that gap by examining how hymns are musically, linguistically, and theologically reconfigured across five major Pentecostal denominations in Benin City. Adopting a qualitative research design, the study integrates stylistic analysis covering phonology, lexis, syntax, and semantics—with ethnographic methods. Data were obtained through non-participant observation, audio recordings, and semi-structured interviews with pastors, music leaders, and congregants. Findings are expected to reveal that hymn renditions in these churches feature increased tempo and rhythmic intensity, code-switching into Nigerian Pidgin and Edo languages, and semantic expansion through new themes emphasizing prosperity, healing, and spiritual
warfare. These stylistic adaptations reflect intentional strategies by church leaders to foster cultural relevance, encourage congregational engagement, and root theological messages in the local lived realities of worshippers. Ultimately, the study contributes to African religious and music scholarship by offering a contextualized framework for understanding the dynamic interplay between musical performance, linguistic adaptation, and theological interpretation in Pentecostal worship in Benin City

Transhumanism is a philosophical movement that supports the use of modern technology to enhance human development and overcome limitations. Max More is a leading transhumanist philosopher who has made significant contributions to the field. The objective of this project is to evaluate transhumanism in the philosophy of Max More. Focusing on his extropian principles, the project examines how his vision of transcending biological limits via technologies like cryonics, genetic engineering, and artificial intelligence influences contemporary thought. Using the method of philosophical analysis, hermeneutic interpretation & conceptual clarification, the study analyzes More’s foundational ideas, including perpetual progress and morphological freedom, which advocate individual choice in self-transformation. This project investigates the ethical, technological, and social implications of Max More's philosophy, such as issues of access, safety, and societal pressures, alongside criticisms highlighting its over- optimism, libertarian bias, and speculative nature. This project also assesses Max More’s 21 st-century legacy, noting his impact on biotechnology, philosophy, and cultural movements like transhumanism advocacy. While More’s vision inspires innovation and personal empowerment, it faces challenges in ensuring equitable access, addressing safety risks, and embracing cultural diversity. This project underscores the transformative potential of transhumanism while advocating a balanced approach to ensure its benefits reach all of humanity, contributing to ongoing debates about technology’s role in our collective future..

Alcohol (ethanol) is a widely consumed psychoactive substance known to induce oxidative stress and gastrointestinal mucosal damage, particularly in the stomach. Chronic alcohol exposure generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) and disrupts mucosal integrity. M melatonin on alcohol-induced gastric toxicity in adult male Wistar rats. Forty adult male Wistar rats (150–180 g) were randomly divided into four groups (n=10): control, melatonin only (5 mg/kg), alcohol only and melatonin plus alcohol. All treatments were administered orally via gavage for 28 days. After the exposure period, a weight test was done, and gastric tissues were harvested for histopathological analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA with significance set at p<0.05. Alcohol induced ulceration in the mucosa of the stomach, and the ulcer induced was irregularly -shaped. The control group showed a normal gastric architecture, while the group given alcohol only exhibited disruption of the muscularis mucosa with the formation of a irregular-shaped ulcer. The group given alcohol and melatonin showed that melatonin attenuated the ulcerative lesion in the stomach, indicating that melatonin effectively resolved alcohol-induced gastric injury.

Small-scale businesses have become major drivers of socio-economic change in developing societies of the world, but especially so in Nigeria, where they account for over 90% of businesses in the country and employ a significant part of the labor market. This research explored the role of small- scale businesses as contributors to economic development in Edo State, Nigeria. The objectives were to evaluate how small businesses contribute to employment generation, income generation, industrial development, and economic growth in Edo State. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, and data from 347 respondents made up of owners and managers of small-scale businesses across the three senatorial districts of Edo State were collected. Questionnaires' structured format was used to collect data, while descriptive statistics, frequency counts, percentages, and mean scores were employed as tools of data analysis.

The findings of the research confirmed a significant contribution of small-scale businesses to employment generation jobs, which were for skilled and unskilled laborers; thus, a reduction was achieved in the number of unemployed people in the state. The research also revealed that small businesses have significantly enhanced income generation leading to improved standards of living and promoted industrial dependent linkages through adding value and the use of local raw materials, but challenges such as inadequate access to finance, multiple taxation, poor infrastructure, and inconsistent government policies have negatively contributed to optimal performance. In addition, the research showed that government support such as training programs, access to loans, and tax incentives has a positive but limited impact on business sustainability

Background: Sports injuries were a major concern among amateur footballers, often leading to reduced performance, loss of participation time, and long-term complications. Effective injury prevention depended largely on athletes’ knowledge and attitudes toward preventive measures. However, limited research existed on these variables among amateur footballers in Nigerian universities, particularly within the University of Benin (UNIBEN). Aim: This study aimed to determine the knowledge and attitudes towards injury prevention among amateur footballers in the Faculty of Basic Medical Science, University of Benin. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed involving 92 male and female amateur footballers aged 18 years and above from the Faculty of Basic Medical Science, UNIBEN. Participants were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected using an adapted self-administered questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes towards injury prevention. Descriptive statistics summarized participants’ characteristics, while Chi-square tests and independent t-tests determined associations between sociodemographic variables, knowledge, and attitude levels at a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: Participants were predominantly male (63%) and aged 18–25 years (78.3%). The majority (58.7%) demonstrated fair knowledge of injury prevention, while 28.3% had good knowledge and 13.0% had poor knowledge. Most participants (71.7%) displayed positive attitudes towards injury prevention. There was no significant association between gender, department, or BMI and knowledge or attitude levels (p > 0.05), but years of experience showed a weak positive relationship with knowledge scores. Conclusion: Amateur footballers in UNIBEN generally exhibited fair knowledge and positive attitudes towards injury prevention, although certain misconceptions persisted. Targeted educational interventions and physiotherapist-led prevention programs are recommended to enhance injury prevention awareness and promote safer sporting practices among university footballers.

Background: It seeks to identify the current level of understanding, perceptions, and actual documentation behaviors among these professionals. The research aims to highlight areas for improvement in documentation quality, which is crucial for effective patient care, legal compliance, and interdisciplinary communication about the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Physiotherapists concerning clinical documentation within the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practices, that regards about clinical documentation in University of Benin Teaching Hospital, with a focus on understanding how these factors influence the quality of patient care, compliance with legal and professional standards, and overall effectiveness of treatment outcomes. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design. It will be aimed at assessing the knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) of 45 physiotherapists regarding clinical documentation at the
University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). Data will be collected over a period of two
weeks. Questionnaires will be distributed physically to eligible participants in each Unit. Respondents will be given time to fill out the questionnaire at their convenience and return it within three day. Data will be analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard
deviations will be used to summarize data. Inferential statistics such as chi-square tests will be used to explore relationships between knowledge, attitudes, and practice. Results: The study analyzed data from 45 fully completed questionnaires administered to full￾time registered Physiotherapists at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). The iv respondents were a largely youthful group, with most aged 28–33 years (33.3%) and having 1–5 years of work experience (37.8%). A majority (68.9%) held a BSc/BMR in Physiotherapy. Conclusion: Physiotherapists at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital possess a moderate level of knowledge, positive attitudes, and good practices regarding clinical documentation.[1] While general awareness is present, specific areas for improvement in documentation practices were identified, suggesting a need for targeted educational interventions to enhance the quality and completeness of clinical records.

This study examined the influence of teacher attributes — specifically teachers’ academic qualification, years of teaching experience, and teaching style — on secondary school students’ academic achievement in Biology within Egor Local Government Area (LGA), Edo State. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory, the correlational study used a structured questionnaire (TASAABQ) validated by faculty experts and pilot-tested (Cronbach’s α = .812) to collect data from 200 senior secondary students (SS2 & SS3) drawn from five public secondary schools in Egor LGA. Demographic and Likert-type responses were analysed using descriptive statistics (means, SD, percentages), Pearson correlation, independent- samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA to test hypotheses about relationships between teacher attributes and student achievement. Results showed statistically significant positive relationships between teacher qualification and student achievement, teacher experience and student achievement, and between student-centred teaching styles and achievement. Effect sizes indicated practical importance: teacher qualification and experience jointly explained a substantial portion of variance in students’ Biology scores. The study concludes that improving teacher professional qualifications, retaining experienced teachers, and promoting interactive, student-centered biology pedagogy are critical to raising students’ achievement. Recommendations for teachers, school administrators and policymakers are provided, along with suggestions for further research and acknowledged limitations. (Keywords: teacher qualification, teaching experience, teaching style, Biology achievement, Egor LGA).

This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of trematode parasite infection in Pila ovata from Iguobo community, Ovia North-East LGA, Edo State, Nigeria. The snail specimens were collected by hand picking from water puddles within farmlands in Iguobo Community in July, 2025. Sixty-six snails species Pila ovata, belonging to the Family Ampullariidae, were examined and only one was found to be infected with trematode larval stages with an overall prevalence of 1.52%. The larval stages of trematodes recovered from the infected snail include rediae, cercariae, metacercariae, and a juvenile trematode. Two types of cercariae were identified namely, gymnocephalous and cercariaeum cercariae. The low prevalence of trematode infection recorded in this study could be attributed to minimal anthropogenic activities in the study area, which likely reduced water contamination. It could also be due to the short period of survey and timing. The study was conducted during wet season; which probably reduced the infection rate due to dilution factor. Although, Pila ovata showed low prevalence of trematode infection in this study, it however, exhibited high parasite diversity due to the presence of different larval stages and trematode recovered from the infected snail. This study reports Cercariaeum and gymnocephalous cercariae in P. ovata from Nigeria for the first time. Further investigation should be conducted on Pila ovata to ascertain the species status of trematode cercariae infecting this snail.

The study investigated challenges of teaching English language in rural areas using Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State as a case study. The design adopted for this study is the descriptive survey method.

Four (4) research questions were raised for the study. The population of this study consisted of all the secondary school teachers in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State. A total of sixty (60) teachers were purposively selected as the sample size from eight (8) secondary schools in the LGA. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from respondents. The research instrument used was validated/ by experts in the Department of Educational Foundations. Data collected from the survey were statistically analysed. After analysis, results were displayed on tables showing frequencies, percentages, mean scores and standard deviations of responses, including the decisions made.

Based on the findings, it was discovered mother tongue interference affects rural students' pronunciation of certain English words and comprehension of English language; there is not enough provision of school facilities for the/ adequate teaching and learning of English Language
in rural areas, etc.

Some recommendations were made afterwards. It was recommended that students should be
made aware of the differences in the phonological, orthographical, vocabulary and grammatical
patterns in English and their mother tongue; government should provide adequate, spacious
classes with adequate equipment and school facilities in order to meet the needs of the learners
and their aspiration, etc.