EFFECTS OF TEACHER’S USE OF 5E INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT’S ACHIEVEMENT IN BIOLOGY IN VIHIGA COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Biology is a discipline that enables one understand nature, one self and life processes besides facilitating development of important skills that find use in specialized areas such as medicine, agriculture and environmental sciences. Biology provides the background knowledge that specialized areas of life stems from. This is however threatened by the low achievement by students at Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in the subject partly attributed to the use of predominantly teacher centered approaches of instruction (Richards, 2022). This study sought to determine the effect of teachers’ use of the 5E instructional model approach on students’ achievement in Biology in Vihiga County. It was guided by four objectives: to determine the effect of the 5E instructional model approach on students’ achievement; find out whether there is a correlation between students’ scientific skills, attitude and academic achievement; determine whether students’ scientific skills and attitude interact to influence their academic achievement and determine whether students’ scientific skills and attitude could predict academic achievement in cell biology. The study was anchored in constructivist theory which holds that meaningful learning results from active participation of learners and that individuals acquire knowledge and derive meaning through experiences. The study adopted a sequential mixed methods research approach comprising of quasi-experimental research design to collect quantitative data followed by focus group interviews to collect qualitative data. A sample of 550 students was selected from a population of 14,400 form three students of biology using multi-stage sampling procedure. The 12 teachers of biology for the sample classes were automatically selected to take part in the study. The dependent variable was the student performance at three levels; academic achievement, scientific skills achievement and attitude, while the independent variable was the method of instructional two levels; 5Einstructional model approach and the conventional approach. Data was collected using three achievement tests, and two questionnaires. A pilot study was carried out in two schools prior to the actual study in two schools within the area of study. The reliability of the research instruments was determined using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for internal consistence and all the instruments had a reliability coefficient above 0.7. Validity was established through consultation with research experts from Masinde Muliro University and practicing teachers. All the instruments had scores above 60%. Data was analyzed using the independent sample t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, Standard Multiple Linear Regression and ANCOVA at α = 0.05. The main finding was that the 5E instructional model greatly improved student’s achievement in biology. In addition, student’s scientific skills had a strong positive correlation with students’ academic achievement in biology. The results of this study may provide a basis for improving instruction in biology as well as in other subjects to realize improved achievement by the learners.