Academic Performance of Rural Junior High School Students in Biology: Basis for Learning Activities Development

Abstract

Biology education is crucial for living in a volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous, disruptive, and diverse environment. Moreover, most literature suggested developing learning activities for students based on the knowledge, attitudes, and skills competency gaps. Thus, this study assessed the academic performance in terms of their examination scores among the 150 randomly selected Grade Eight Biology students in different public schools in a rural municipality in Cebu, Philippines. It employed a descriptive research methodology. The test questionnaire was anchored on the Department of Education Learning Guide in determining the student's academic performance in Biology. The respondents' data were gathered from their Biology teachers and were expressed in frequencies and percentages. Data were computed using SPSS Statistics 27. The majority of the student's academic performance in Biology for Digestive System (n=65,43.33%), Biodiversity (n=68,45.33%), and Ecosystem (n=56,37.34%) competencies indicate that the majority of the respondents' scores did not meet expectations. Our findings strongly recommend that teachers carefully plan and provide necessary learning activities based on the needs and knowledge gaps of the students in their instructional practices to give their students a thorough grasp of the topics covered in the Biology class.

Keywords

• academic performance
• Biology
• Junior High School
• Learning Activities

Kırsal Bölge Ortaokulu Öğrencilerinin Biyoloji Akademik Performansı: Öğrenme Etkinlikleri Geliştirmenin Temelleri

Abstract

Biyoloji eğitimi, değişken, belirsiz, karmaşık, muğlak, yıkıcı ve çeşitli bir ortamda yaşamak için çok önemlidir. Ayrıca, biyoloji eğitimi alanyazını bilgi, tutum ve beceri yeterlilik boşluklarına dayalı olarak öğrenciler için öğrenme aktiviteleri geliştirmeyi önermektedir. Bu nedenle, bu çalışma, Filipinler'in Cebu kentindeki kırsal bir belediyedeki farklı devlet okullarında rastgele seçilen 150 sekizinci sınıf biyoloji öğrencisi arasında sınav puanları açısından akademik performansı değerlendirdi. Çalışmada betimsel araştırma modeli kullanılmıştır. Öğrencinin biyolojideki akademik başarılarını belirlemek için Eğitim Bakanlığı Öğrenim Kılavuzu'na bağlı test kullanıldı. Çalışmanın verileri biyoloji öğretmenlerinden toplanmış ve frekans ve yüzde olarak ifade edilmiştir. Veriler SPSS Statistics 27 kullanılarak hesaplanmıştır. Öğrencinin akademik performansının çoğunluğu Sindirim Sistemi Biyolojisi (n=%65,43,33), Biyoçeşitlilik (n=%68,45,33) ve Ekosistem (n=%56,37,34) yeterliliklerinden oluşmaktadır. Cevaplayıcıların çoğunluğunun puanlarının beklentileri karşılamadığını göstermektedir. Çalışmanın sonuçları öğretmenlerin, öğrencilerine biyoloji dersinde işlenen konuların tam olarak kavranmasını sağlamak için öğretim uygulamalarında öğrencilerin ihtiyaçlarına ve bilgi boşluklarına dayalı olarak gerekli öğrenme aktivitelerini dikkatli bir şekilde planlamasını önermektedir.

Keywords

• Akademik başarı
• biyoloji
• lise
• öğrenme etkinlikleri.

References

1. Adler, L. K. (1968). Biology teaching in junior high school. The American Biology Teacher, 30(4), 265–267. https://doi.org/10.2307/4442039
2. Ambusaidi, I., Badiali, B., & Alkharousi, K. (2021). Examining how biology teachers' pedagogical beliefs shape the implementation of the omani reform-oriented curriculum. Athens Journal Of Education, 8(3), 263–304. https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.8-3-3
3. Antoniou, A.-S., Charitaki, G., & Mastrogiannis, D. (2023). Supporting in-service special educational needs teachers to stay engaged: A two-step hierarchical linear regression analysis. Technology, Knowledge and Learning. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-022-09640-8.
4. Arrieta, G. S., Dancel, J. C., & Agbisit, M. J. P. (2020). Teaching science in the new normal: Understanding the experiences of junior high school science teachers. Jurnal Pendidikan MIPA, 21(2), 146–162. https://doi.org/10.23960/jpmipa/v21i2.pp146-162.
5. Baker, J., & Young, B. (2014). 20 years later: Deliberate practice and the development of expertise in sport. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 7(1), 135–157. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2014.896024.
6. Baterna, H. B., Mina, T. D. G., & Rogayan, D. V. (2020). Digital literacy of stem senior high school students: Basis for enhancement program. International Journal of Technology in Education, 3(2), 105. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijte.v3i2.28.
7. Bell, B. (2013). Classroom Assessment of Science Learning. In S. K. Abell & N. G. Lederman (Eds.) Handbook of research on science education (pp. 965–1006). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203824696-36.
8. Bernard, P., Chevance, G., Kingsbury, C., Gadais, T., Dancause, K., Villarino, R. & Romain, A. J. (In Press). Climate change: The next game changer for sport and exercise psychology. German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research https://doi.org/10.1007/s12662-022-00819-w

9. Bietenback, J. (2016). Teaching practices and student achievement: evidence from TIMSS. CEMFI.
10. Bokan-Smith, K. E. (2016). A mixed methods study of motivational teaching strategies in the esl classroom in Australia. [PhD thesis, The University of Sydney- Sydney]. The University of Sydney.
11. Bybee, R. (1989). Teaching high-school biology: Materials and strategies. In W. G. Rosen (Ed.) High-school biology today and tomorrow: Papers presented at a conference. National Academies Press.
12. Cacciapaglia, C., & van Woesik, R. (2016). Climate-change refugia: Shading reef corals by turbidity. Global Change Biology, 22(3), 1145–1154. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13166
13. Capuno, R., Necesario, R., Etcuban, J. O., Espina, R., Padillo, G., & Manguilimotan, R. (2019). Attitudes, Study Habits, and Academic Performance of Junior High School Students in Mathematics. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/5768
14. Charitaki, G., Kourti, I., Gregory, J. L., Ozturk, M., Ismail, Z., Alevriadou, A., Soulis, S.-G., Sakici, Ş., & Demirel, C. (In Press). Teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education: a cross-national exploration. Trends in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43076-022-00240-0
15. Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). Teacher quality and student achievement. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 8, 1-44. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v8n1.2000
16. Gormally, C., Brickman, P., Hallar, B., & Armstrong, N. (2009). Effects of inquiry-based learning on students' science literacy skills and confidence. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2009. 030216
17. Hamann, A., & Curio, E. (1999). Interactions among frugivores and fleshy fruit trees in a philippine submontane rainforest. Conservation Biology, 13(4), 766–773. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1523-1739.1999.97420.x
18. Kaptan, K., & Timurlenk, O. (2012). Challenges for science education. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 51, 763–771. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.08.237
19. Merrill, M. D. (2002). First principles of instruction. Educational Technology Research and Development, 50(3), 43–59. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02505024
20. OECD. (2020). The territorial impact of covid-19: managing the crisis across levels of government—OECD. https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/view/
21. Ogunkola, B. J., & Clifford, C. (2013). Instructional assessment practices of science teachers in barbados: pattern, techniques and challenges. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies. https://doi.org/10.5901/ajis.2013.v2n1p313
22. Orleans, A. V. (2007). The condition of secondary school physics education in the Philippines: Recent developments and remaining challenges for substantive improvements. The Australian Educational Researcher, 34(1), 33–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03216849
23. Öztürk, E. (2003). An assesment of high school biology curriculum implementation. (Thesis Number. 140136), [PhD thesis, Middle East Technical University-Ankara]. Council of Higher Education Thesis Center.
24. Perera, L. D. H. (2014). Parents' Attitudes Towards Science and their Children's Science Achievement. International Journal of Science Education, 36(18), 3021–3041. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2014.949900
25. Sadera, J. R. N., Torres, R. Y. S., & Rogayan. Jr., D. V. (2020). Challenges encountered by junior high school students in learning science: Basis for action plan. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(12A), 7405–7414. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.082524
26. van Merriënboer, J. J. G., Clark, R. E., & de Croock, M. B. M. (2002). Blueprints for complex learning: The 4C/ID-model. Educational Technology Research and Development, 50(2), 39–61. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02504993
27. Villarino, R. T. (2023). Effectiveness of an online health and well-being program on physical activity, nutrition, and sleep in college students. Health Education and Health Promotion, 11(1), 29-36.
28. Villarino, R. T., Arcay, C. A., Temblor, M. C., Villarino, M. L., Bagsit, R., Ocampo, L., & Bernard, P. (2021). The effects of lifestyle intervention using the modified beliefs, attitude, subjective norms, enabling factors model in hypertension management: quasi-experimental study. JMIR Cardio, 5(2), e20297. https://doi.org/10.2196/20297
29. Villarino, R. T. H. (2020). Convergence model of motivational attributes and academic performance among college students. International Journal of Advanced Research and Publications, 4(3), 169-177.
30. Villarino, R. T. H., Villarino, M. L. F., Temblor, M. C. L., Bernard, P., & Plaisent, M. (2022). Developing a health and well-being program for college students: An online intervention. World Journal on Educational Technology: Current Issues, 14(1), 64–78. https://doi.org/10.18844/wjet.v14i1.6638
31. Villarino, R. T., Villarino, M. L., Temblor, M. C., Bernard, P., & Plaisent, M. (2022). Association between physical health and well-being: A quasi-experimental study. Journal of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences ,21(3), 215-221.
32. Vogiatzi, C.-A., Charitaki, G., Kourkoutas, E., & Forlin, C. (2022). The teacher efficacy for inclusive practices (teip) scale: further evidence for construct validity in greek-speaking teachers. PROSPECTS, 52(3–4), 387–403. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-022-09605-w
33. Vogiatzi, X.-A., Charitaki, G., & Kourkoutas, E. (2021). Assessing psychometric properties of the sentiments, attitudes and concerns about inclusive education scale in a greek-speaking sample of in-service teachers. Technology, Knowledge and Learning. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-021-09554-x