ABSTRACT
This study aimed at evaluating the implementation of national curriculum for secondary school biology in Anambra State. National curriculum for senior secondary schools biology is used all over Nigeria for teaching senior secondary school students. Evaluation research design was adopted in the study. The evaluation model used was Context, Input, Process Product and Constraints (CIPPC) model, which is a modified Stufflebeam’s Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP) model. The three sets of population for the study were 300 biology teachers and 45,739 biology students in 179 state owned senior secondary schools in Anambra State. From these two sets of subjects, 244 biology teachers who returned copies of their questionnaire and 2287 biology students were drawn through stratified random sampling technique from the 90 senior secondary schools in the 6 education zones in the state. A structured response questionnaire which was validated by experts and experienced personnel both in biology teaching and programmes was used to collect data. The internal consistency of the instrument was determined using Cronbach Alpha. The reliability estimates for SSBIEQT were .937, .552, .857, .704, .837, .552 and .950 for clusters 1-7 respectively. The reliability estimates for SSBIEQS were .950, .907, .955, .950, .857, .837, and .704 for clusters 1-7 respectively. Six research questions guided the study. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. Among the major findings of the study were that: The aims and objectives of the national curriculum for secondary school biology have been achieved only to a moderate extent; the contents of the biology curriculum for senior secondary schools can achieve the objectives of the secondary school biology to a moderate extent; Biology teachers utilize the available instructional materials for teaching and learning biology only to a less extent; teachers comply with the appropriate teaching methods recommended for use in the biology curriculum to a moderate extent; teachers use the recommended evaluation techniques in assessing their students to a moderate extent; students’ poor background from basic science; under funding of education; forty minute biology lesson period; inadequate coverage of biology syllabus; lack of laboratory facilities and inadequate number of trained biology teachers were the problems militating against the implementation of the national curriculum to a moderate extent. It was thus recommended among others that the biology content should be monitored periodically to assess the extent to which the objectives are being achieved.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Science provides a body of knowledge for use in addressing various forms of human, material and environmental problems. It can also be viewed as composed of two major complementary modes: accumulation of knowledge through exploration and discovery efforts about the natural world, and the use of such knowledge for human and material development. Science is studied and practised in all parts of the world, including Nigeria. Nigeria is a developing nation with an increasing demand for science based skilled manpower. The achievement of this can start with the learning and application of science subjects as in biology, chemistry, integrated science, and physics at secondary school level. Among these science subjects: biology, chemistry, integrated science and physics taught in Nigerian secondary schools, only biology was discussed. This is because; the study was focused on biology curriculum.
Biology is one of the senior secondary school subjects taught in Nigeria. Biology is an integral science subject which provides contents in the training of students who want to study medicine, nursing, pharmacy, forestry, fisheries and so on. Requirement for a credit pass and above in biology is needed for science- related vocational discipline. Majority of senior secondary school students choose biology in the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) or National Examination Council’s Senior School Certificate