| dc.description.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. | en_US |
