Thesis Abstract

Abstract
The study aimed to investigate the perceived difficulties faced by senior secondary school students in comprehending certain biological concepts. The research focused on identifying specific concepts within biology that students commonly struggle with and understanding the underlying reasons for these challenges. The research design employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to gather comprehensive data. A sample of senior secondary school students was selected from various schools, and they were assessed on their understanding and perceived difficulty level of specific biological concepts through a structured questionnaire. The results of the survey highlighted several key concepts that students found challenging, including genetics, cellular respiration, and ecological relationships. These findings were further explored through in-depth interviews with a subset of students to delve into the root causes of these difficulties. The qualitative analysis of the interviews revealed that the difficulties in understanding these biological concepts stemmed from various factors. These included inadequate prior knowledge, lack of interest in the subject, ineffective teaching methods, complex terminology, and abstract nature of certain concepts. Students also expressed feelings of frustration and anxiety when faced with these challenging topics, which further hindered their learning experience. Furthermore, the study identified potential strategies to address these difficulties and enhance students' comprehension of biology. These strategies included implementing interactive teaching methods, providing real-world examples to illustrate abstract concepts, encouraging active student engagement, and offering additional support for struggling students. By addressing these challenges and tailoring teaching practices to meet the needs of students, educators can foster a more conducive learning environment for biology education. In conclusion, the study shed light on the perceived difficulties of senior secondary school students in comprehending specific biological concepts and the underlying factors contributing to these challenges. By identifying these obstacles and proposing targeted solutions, educators can better support students in their learning journey and improve overall academic performance in biology. This research contributes to the existing literature on science education and provides valuable insights for curriculum development and pedagogical practices in biology instruction at the senior secondary school level.

Thesis Overview

Biology is basic for understanding the complexities of life. This aspect of science for example, genetically making significant contribution such as genetically modified foods to many of the inventions that are shaping modern day, and has helped to explain many of the events being encountered in everyday life for example. Despite its importance, biology remains the least pass rate at WAEC and NECO exams science subject among students generally. In Nigeria universities for example, biology departments and Teacher Education in biology continue to witness paucity of students, which is the reason there is serious shortage of biology teachers in secondary schools. Educators agree that students learn best when biological concepts are well explained. Also, students’ perceptions about a subject influence their understanding and learning of that subject (Gebbels,Evans and Murphy, 2010), and continuing study of the subject(Williams, Stanisstreet, Spall, Boyes,2013).This is suggestive that a major reason underpinning students’ participation in a learning task is their perception of it as interesting/boring, or easy/difficult, or relevant. There is evidence that students who find a subject interesting tend to choose it for further study (Williams et al, 2013). Thus, for those students who perceive biology concept to be as difficult, studying it might just be routine and there is less likelihood that the knowledge will be beneficially utilized, not to mention continuing study. This has serious implications for building a pool of biologist that are required for shaping life development, and in particular, biology teachers that would help to build a strong foundation for the subject in school.