ABSTRACT

The study investigated improvised DNA model, realia, virtual reality and Biology students’ interest, academic achievement and retention in genetics due to the fact that many Biology concepts such as genetics in the senior secondary school curriculum is perceived to be abstract and difficult to understand by students. Nine research questions were raised and nine hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Quasi-experimental design specifically, non-randomized pretest-posttest control group design was adopted and used for the study. The population for the study comprises all 9,082 Biology students’ of 2019/2020 academic session from four (4) Local Education Zones in Akwa Ibom State. The sample size used for the study was two hundred and fifty-five (255) SS3 Biology students from four (4) intact classes in four (4) schools drawn purposively through multi-stage sampling technique. Biology Interest Scale in Genetics (BISIG) and Biology Achievement Test in Genetics (BATIG) were the instruments used to collect data for the study. Biology Retention Test (BRTIG) was the reshuffled form of BATIG used for retention measurement. Both instruments were validated by three (3) lecturers from the department of Science Education, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. Reliability coefficients of .83 and .84 were obtained through Cronbach alpha (A) and Kuder- Richardson’s formula 20 (KR – 20) for BISIG and BATIG respectively. Mean, Standard deviation and graphical representation of interaction were used to answer research questions while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test hypotheses at .05 level of significance. Results of findings show that there is a significant difference among Biology students taught with instructional resources (improvised DNA model, realia, virtual reality and Biology textbook). Students taught with improvised DNA model, realia and virtual reality resources had higher interest, academic achievement and retention when compared with students taught with Biology textbook. The study also showed that gender was not a significant determinant of students’ academic achievement and retention in Biology. Based on the findings, recommendations were made among which is the need for Biology teachers to adopt and make effective use of (improvised DNA model, realia, virtual reality) as instructional resources in teaching DNA in genetics; Biology teachers should also encourage both male and female students in learning genetics since they can benefit equally from science instructions depending on the involvement of individual student.