EFFECTS OF COMPUTER ANIMATION AND STATIC GRAPHICS ON SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN BIOLOGY

ABSTRACT

This research was informed by the need to evolve strategies ofimproving students’ achievements  in science learning.  The study  examined the effects  of computer animation and static graphics  on senior secondary school students’  achievement in biology in some selected  schools  in  Yenagoa,  Bayelsa  State.  A  quasi-experiment  of the non-equivalent group design was adopted for the study.  Two public secondary schools were purposively selected from  the  13  Senior  Secondary  Schools  in   Yenagoa  education  zone.  The  two schools were randomly  assigned  each to the two experimental  groups.  One school was assigned computer animation and the other school was assigned to static graphic.  From a cluster of 75 SS2 Science students in  the computer animation school and a cluster of 66 SS2 Science students in the static graphic school a stratified random sampling was used to categorize the classes into high and low ability students in terms ofbiology learning.  The sample size of the study  is 141.  The study  was guided by six research questions and six null hypotheses.  The instrument used was Biology achievement test (BAT).  BAT was made up  of 50 multiple choice objective  questions  developed  by the researcher  including  the learning instruments for the treatments.    These were duly  validated by experts.  The data collected from  the pretest and posttest  were analyzed  using mean and standard deviation for analyzing  the research question while Analysis  of covariance (ANCOVA)  was used in the testing the hypotheses  at 0.05  level of significance.  Graphical  representations were also drawn to show gains  in mean scores between pretest  and posttest.  Results form  the data analysis  indicated a significant  difference  in the mean achievement scores between the high ability level and the low ability level students in favour of the high ability group. Also from  the analysis was a clear indication ofa significant difference  between the mean achievement score of the male and female students in favour of the male students.  Thus from  the findings,   it was concluded  that both  computer  animation  and static graphics enhanced students’  academic achievement in biology.  However, computer animation was superior to static graphics.  The study also revealed that male students achieved more than their female  counterparts,  when  exposed  to computer  animation  and static graphics  in biology  learning.    Based  on  these findings,  some  recommendations  were made.    Very important among them is that computer animation and static graphics  should be used to teach  biology  and  other  science  subjects  in  Nigeria’s  secondary  schools  as  they  are capable  of transforming  students from  passive   receptacles  of knowledge   into  active learners.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background  of the Study

Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structures, function, growth, evolution, distribution and classification.  It is a vast and eclectic field composed of many branches and  sub  disciplines.   Biology  recognizes  the cell as the basic unit  of life, genes as the basic unit of heredity,  and evolution as the engine that propels the synthesis and creation of new species. It is understood  that through the knowledge of biology, all organisms survive by consuming and transforming energy, and by regulating their internal environment to maintain a stable and vital condition (Barton, 2008).

Biology  as a separate  science was discovered  in the  19″  century,  as scientists  Matthew  Jacob  Schleiden  (a botanist)  and Theodorr  Schwann  (a zoologist)   in  early   1800   discovered  that  organisms   shared   fundamental characteristics the cell theory,  Rhoades (2007).  Biology is a standard subject of instruction at schools and universities around the world and over a million papers  are  published  annually  in  a  wide  array  of  biology  and  medicine journals. Most biological sciences are specialized disciplines and traditionally they are grouped by the type of organism studied.  For example,  botany,  the study of plants,  zoology is the study of animals and microbiology,  the study of microorganisms.  The field within are further divided based on the scale at

1

2

which organisms are studied and the methods used to study them.  Under this division  are the  following:  biochemistry  which  examines  the  fundamental chemistry  of life;  molecular  biology  studies  the  complex  interactions  of systems of biological molecules. Cellular biology examines the basic building blocks  of all  life that  is,  the  cell;  physiology   examines  the  physical  and chemical  functions  of the tissues  and  organs  of an organism  and  ecology examines  how various  organisms  and their environment  interrelate,  Gall & McIntosh  ( 2007). As an integral part of science, biology  focuses on living things, plants  and animals, and it is a highly popular  subject among  senior secondary students in Nigeria.

Until 2014/2015  academic year, it became compulsory  in the Nigerian education  system that every student in the senior secondary school studies or learns  at least one science  subject.  Over the years,  the trend has been  that most   students  choose  biology   over  the  other   science  subjects  such  as chemistry and physics.   Biology is an option to science based  students only. Biology  curriculum  is structured  primarily  towards providing  a background in  science  for  science  students  who  would  pursue  careers  in  medicine, pharmacy, agriculture, nursing, biochemistry  and others, as well as providing basic  biological  information  for  students  exposed  to it. The  objectives  of biology  curriculum  was  derived  from  the  Federal  Ministry  of Education (2009) and the main objectives  are to prepare  students to acquire: adequate laboratory  and field skills in biology;  meaningful  and relevant knowledge  in

3

biology; ability to apply scientific knowledge  to everyday life in matters of personal   and  community   health   and  agriculture;   and  lastly  to  acquire reasonable and functional scientific attitude.

In pursuance  of the stated objectives, the contents and context of the curriculum place emphasis on field studies, guided discovery, laboratory techniques and skills along with conceptual  thinking. Thus, in keeping with these  objectives,  the  federal  government  made  substantial  provisions  to ensure effective  and successful  teaching and learning of the subject through the  federal  and  state  ministries  of education.  These  include  provision  of science  infrastructure   and  laboratory  equipment   in  schools  for  practical classes, annual investment  in science workshops, seminars and conferences through the ministries of education and other agents for science teachers, and the  establishment  of scholarship  schemes  for  science  students  in tertiary institutions  of learning (Established  Federal  and States Scholarship  Boards (1991 ).    The   federal   government   also   encourages   the   setting   up   of professional  bodies,  such  as the  science  Teachers  Association  of Nigeria (STAN)  which  also  organizes   conferences,  and  workshops   for  science teachers  as well as helps to monitor  strict adherence  to the curriculum  by science  teachers just  as adopted  by  the national  policy  on education.  The establishment  of the  ministry  of science  and  technical  education  by  the federal government is also to ensure research in the sciences such as biology (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004).  With all the efforts made by the federal

4

government  towards meaningful  learning of the subject and other sciences,  it is expected  that students’ achievement  would have improved. But not so as reflected   in  the  statistics  of some  cited  WASC/NECO   senior  secondary certificate examination  results in the years under review (see appendices H &

1 ). These statistics indicated low achievement.

Investigations  have revealed  quite a number of factors contributing  to the students’  low achievement  in the subject. For instance, (Yusuf & Afolabi,

2010) observed a crowded biology syllabus or an increased curricular content without a corresponding  attention to the methodology  of teaching which has been more prevalently, the traditional or lecture method. Yahaya, (2012) observed  crowded  classroom  as  well  as  students’  poor  study  habit  while (Igwe,  2011)  identified  inadequate  use of instructional  materials,  students’ lack of interest and poor attitude to biology learning.

However   in  an  attempt  to  improve   students’   achievement   in  the subject, some research works have been done on the need for the adoption of different  approaches  to the teaching  and learning  of biology  other than the lecture  method.  For  instance  (Yusuf &  Afolabi,  2010)  tried  the  use  of computer  assisted instruction  (CAI) approach to teach biology  to a group of

120 senior secondary one (SSI) students sampled from three schools in Oyo State.   CAI   is  a  computer   programmed   mode   of  instruction   involving interaction   between   student  and  the  designed   instruction.  Usually,  each student   engages   a  computer,   reads   through   the   designed   instructional

5

package,  answer evaluative questions and then score themselves  at the end of the  interactive   session  with  the  programmed   instruction.  Their  findings indicated   that   though   students  exposed   to  CAI   instructional   approach achieved  more than  students  exposed  to textbook  or lecture method,  result still revealed  that  CAI  approach  was  not  as effective  for  topics  requiring critical  thinking  or mathematical  problem  solving.  Oluwatayo  and  Fatoba, (2010)  in their own investigation  used the evaluative  feedback  approach  in assessing  the achievement  of students in biology  learning.  Oluwatayo  and Fatoba carried out the investigation by using 120 SSII students  selected from four  senior  secondary  schools  in Ekiti  State. Although,  findings  showed a better retention  of facts,  students  still lacked the ability to relate the subject with practical situations.  Thus, it is important to provide viable teaching tools and strategies such as educational  graphics  and animations  that could make learning of concepts in the subject easier and more concrete.

Graphics  are visual images  or design on some surface, such as wall, canvas,  screen,  paper  or  stone  placed   in  order  to  inform,  illustrate  or entertain. They are visual elements often used to point readers and viewers to particular  information.  They are also used to supplement text in an effort to aid readers in their understanding  of a particular concept or make it clearer or more interesting (Mayer & Moreno, 2012). In education, graphics are heavily used in textbooks especially such subjects as geography, science and mathematics  in order to illustrate theories and concepts.

6

There  are  two  major   types  of graphics.  They  are  static  graphics   and animated graphics or simply, animation. Static graphics are still visual representations  on   some   plain   surfaces.   In   education,   static   graphics   are visual  representations of a text  or a topic  that pro vides  templates  fo r students or  teachers   to  identify  pertinent   facts,   or  to   organize   inform ation   and   to record   relationship   between   facts   and   ideas   within   a  learn ing  task   (Dike,

2008).  In  contemporary  usage,   static   graphics   includes   pictorial representation  of  data  as  in  computer-aided  design.  Static  images   that  are generated by a computer are called computer graphics. Examples  include photographs, drawings, line art, graphs diagrams, typographs, numbers and symbols.    Others    are    images,    geometric     designs,    maps,    cartoon     and engineering  drawing.

On  the  other  hand,  animated  graphics  or animation  is a type  of optical illusion  involving  the  appearance  of motion  caused  by  displaying  images  one after  another.  It  is  the  creation   of a  sense  of movement based   on  repeated display   of  still  images.   W hen   our  eyes  are  presented   with  a  series  of  still images   shown  at  a  fast  rate,  the  brain  merges  them   together   and  interprets them  as being  in motion  Chan  &  Black,  (2010).  Hence,  computer  animation is  the   art  of  creating   moving   images   via  the  use  of computer.   Computer animation  is a subset of computer  graphics  and animation  technologies.

Computer    animations    have   been   used   in   science   teaching   to   help students’  understanding of abstract  and  complicated science  concepts.  Recent

7

studies carried out on the integration of computer animation by Karp,  (2012) and  Becker,   (2013 ),   showed   that  a  well  designed   computer   animation instruction,  may  help  students  learn  faster  and  easier;  that  they  are  also excellent  aids  to  teachers  when  it  comes  to  explaining  difficult  science concepts and, that such invisible and difficult operations or processes like the flow of electric current,  the transport  of oxygen from the lungs  to the heart that is difficult  for students  to understand  could become  easier,  faster and even fascinating to learn with a well-designed computer animation.

O’day  (2010)  carried  out  an  investigative   study  on  the  value  of computer animation in Biology teaching.  The study involved undergraduates of the University  of Toronto.  Result  showed  that  there  was an  increased retention   of  the  learned  information   and  problem-solving   skills  of  the students.  The  result  also  confirmed  that  computer  animation  can  provide clearly  and  efficiently,  ways  of  communicating   complex   sequences  of biological  or physiological  events, such as blood flowing through the heart. Computer animations also show stepwise  sequences of diagrams, numbers or images to illustrate complicated  concepts or theories. The peculiar characteristics  of animation, complexity  of the systems involved in biology generally,  and the spatial and temporary nature of many biological processes makes  computer  animation  a  viable  tool  for  teaching  biology  topics  in particular.  Animations  are  also  found  to  be  most  effective  when  text  is adjacent  to important  structures,  and is spoken  simultaneously  to re-inforce

8

the  learning  process  O ‘Day,  (2006).  This  effect  is  often  referred  to  as the contiguity  effect.  Furthermore,  Tversky  &  Morrison,  (2010)  explained  that just  static images or even well arranged  static sequential  images may still not be  a better  alternative  for  computer  animation  for  an  effective  teaching  of dynamic  events  in biological  processes.  Moreso,  further  results  comparing animation-based instruction with carefully designed narration or verbal presentations,  showed  that the animation  did not result  in a greater  quantity learnt,  but  did  result  in  less  time  required  to  retrieve  information   learned Rieber  & Boyce, (1990).  Thus, although  animation  seems to attract  learners attention  and  increase  their  motivation  to  learn,  whether  or not  instructions using it can facilitate academic  achievement,  still remains a question.

Academic  achievement    refers  to  how  students  or  learners  generally deal with their  studies and how they cope with or accomplish  different  tasks given  to  them  by  their  teachers.  Wards,  stoker  and  Murray-ward,  (2006) defined  academic  achievement    as the  ability  to  study  and  remember  facts, and being  able to communicate  one’s knowledge  verbally or writing down on paper.  It is the extent to which a student has achieved  his or her educational goals when measured, tested or assessed on a common scale. Academic achievement    is   usually   influenced    by   individual    differences    linked   to differences  in intelligence  and personality.  Student with higher mental ability as demonstrated  by intelligence  quotient  (IQ) tests, and those who are higher in conscientiousness (Linked  to efforts  and achievement  maturation)  tend  to

9

achieve highly in academic  settings. In addition to the possible influence of computer animation on student’s achievement, some other factors inherent in students   can   also   affect   academic   achievement.   Two  of  such   factors investigated in this study are mental ability and gender of the learner.

Mental or cognitive ability of a student is defined as the capacity with which  the  student receives  and processes  information  for learning  Miller, (2001 ).  Cognitive ability or simply ability level is a concept Slavin,  (2001) broadly  considered  as a learner’s level of intelligence.  Slavin  showed that learners’ cognitive ability influences his or her school achievement or performance   in  various  cognitive  tasks.  Slavin’s  findings  showed  that  a student  with  average  ability,  demonstrates  average  efforts  or  support  in school  activities while high ability level students tend to demonstrate  high level academic achievement. Similarly, low ability level students tend to demonstrate low level academic achievement.

Another factor that could influence academic achievement  is gender. In most societies of the world, the educational provision for the boy child and the girl child is differentiated.  This difference in treatment through education has created and sustained gender gap which is very obvious in the science, technology and mathematics education provided.   This historical background of the provision of education in Nigeria serves to give a true picture of how history placed  women  and girls at a disadvantage  and restricted  them to a narrow range of occupation and careers Njoku,  (2009).   Gender issues have

10

been  linked  with achievement  of pupils  and  students in academic  tasks  in several studies though without any definite conclusion.  The finding of Umar, (2011)  revealed  that  there  is no  significant  gender  difference  in  students’ achievement  in science concepts, whereas  earlier findings by Njoku  (2009) indicated  that significant differences  exist between  the achievement  of male and female  students..   However, some other findings  showed no sex factor effect  at  all  on  students’  achievement   Yusuf &  Afolabi  (2010).    These conflicting  evidences  in academic  achievement  due to gender, informed  the need to verify those assertions by undertaking  this study which examined the effect  of the use  of computer  animation  and  static  graphics  on male  and female students achievement  in biology.

Statement of Problem

Students who have undergone the teaching/learning  of biology through the senior secondary school curriculum are expected to be seen as those who have  acquired  meaningful  and relevant  knowledge  and have  the  ability  to apply  scientific  knowledge   to  everyday  life  in  matters  of personal   and community health and agriculture.  This knowledge  is expected to have been imported   to  them   through   systematic  instructional   processes   involving properly designed instructional packages  and intelligent professional  biology teachers.

11

This  is however,  observed  to be  far from  the  expected  situation  as various studies in recent time have revealed that students’ achievement in the subject  in  the  country  is  on  the  decline,  inspite  of the  various  teaching approaches   in  use.     Besides,   statistics  of  some  past   senior  secondary certificate examination (SSCE) results of both WAEC/NECO in biology have confirmed this assertion especially in Bayelsa State.    For instance, WAEC/NECO  chief examiners report in biology  in the years under review (2013 – 2016) reported that even with clear rubrics, with questions set within the  scope  of the  syllabus,  and  marking   scheme  flexible  and  adequate, candidates’  achievement  in the subject was slightly poorer than those of the previous years.  Thus, the urgent need to explore other instructional strategies became pertinent.

Hence,  this  study  was  set  to  find  out  if the  use  of multimedia  or visualization  learning tools  such as static graphics and computer  animation would have any effect on students’  achievement in senior secondary biology.

Purpose of the Study

The focus of this study is on the effects  of computer  animation  and statics  graphics  in  the  teaching  of senior  secondary  biology  in Nigerian schools.   Specifically, the study examined:

1.         The  effect  of  computer  animation  and  static  graphics  on  students’ achievement in biology.

12

2.        The effect of treatments on students’  achievement in biology by ability levels.

3.        The  effect  of  treatments  on  students’   achievement   in   biology  by gender.

4.        The  interaction  effects  of  treatment,   ability  levels  and  gender  on students’  achievement in biology.

Significance of the Study

This study  is better appreciated when teaching and learning processes are  involved.    It  provides  the  understanding  of the  cognitive  theories  of multimedia learning that explains how humans learn, using two separate channels (auditory and visual) in the working memory.  It also explains how information  processing  in human  learning  involves  filtering,  selecting  and organizing  of information  received to first of all produce  mental representations  (schemas) which are then integrated with prior knowledge to construct new knowledge.

The theories also give us a better clue to the precarious  nature of the working  memory  in terms  of its  limited  capacity  to  receive  and  process information under teaching and learning situation.  It provides the base upon which  the  difference  in  students  ability  level  and  achievement  in  school activities is explained.

13

Practically,    the   findings   would   be   of immense   benefit   to  all  the stakeholders in the education  sector.

The fact that the  study promotes  the inclusion  in instructional designs relevant  graphics  and  animations   in  learning  process  where  they  are  used, students’  cognitive  skills  would  more  easily be  stimulated  and developed. It reveals  pictures   and  animations   as  emotion  grabbing  devices  that  increase students’  interest  and level of engagement in a learning process.   The findings present  animations  and  static  graphic  as learning  tools  that are able to make learning  easier  and  concrete,  as their use  encourage  a more  meaningful and lasting  student  learning  devoid  of abstraction   and  verbalization.    By  using well-designed visual  tools,  the  findings  reveal  that  students  can  digest  large amount   of information   in  a  relatively   short  time  and  construct  their  own personal  visualization of a process.

Teacher  understanding  of the  working   of pictures   and  animation   as emotion  grabbing  devices,  would  enable  them  make  a better  selecting  and organizing   of them  into  a final  presentation format.    They  can  also  freely engage  the use of animations  to illustrate  lesson  contents  that present  abstract and  unobservable  concepts  and  dynamic  process.    Their  knowledge  of the limited   capacity   of a  learner’s  working   memory   would  also  enable  them select  learning  contents  and  activities  that  would  keep  them  focused  on the concepts  to be learned rather than trying too much to entertain.

14

The findings could hopefully  assist instructional  material  developers, and  indigenous  biology  text  books  authors  to  include  in  their  learning packages  for  senior  secondary  level,  instructional  materials/strategies  that would  help  bring  about  meaningful   learning.     Improved   and  sustained academic   achievement   of  students   in   any   nation’s   education   system ultimately reflects on the nations economic development.  Hence the findings of the  study  will  be  of immense  significance  to  all  stakeholders  in  the education  system including  professional  associations  which  often organize conference  and workshops to spread information on new developments  and innovations of both local and global interests in the society.

Scope of the Study

The  scope  of  the  study  focuses  on  the  use  of  static  graphics  and computer   animation   for  the  presentation   of  course   contents   to   senior secondary  two (SS 2) biology  students  within Yenagoa  Education  Zone in Bayelsa state.   The choice of senior secondary two was based on the fact that it is not an external examination class and therefore are more relaxed in terms of  examination   consciousness.    Moreso,    the   National    Curriculum   for secondary  school  Federal  Ministry  of  Education  (FME,  2009)  contain  the units/topics  upon  which  the  treatment  is based,  The content  scope  of the study  includes:  transport  system  in animals,  circulatory  systems,  structure, formation   and  functions   of  blood,   the  blood   vessels,   structure   of  the

15

mammalian heart and circulation of blood.   Secondary independent variables of interaction were gender and ability level.

Research Questions

The following research questions were raised to guide the study:

1.      What are the mean achievement scores of students taught biology using computer animation and those taught biology using static graphics?

2.     What  are the mean  achievement  scores of  high  and low ability  level students taught biology using computer animation and static graphics?

3.     What  are the  mean  achievement  scores  of  male  and  female  students taught biology using computer animation and static graphics?

4.     What  is  the  interaction  effect  of  treatment  groups,  ability  level  and gender on students’  achievement in biology?

HYPOTHESES

Based   on  the  research   questions,   the  following   null  hypotheses   were formulated:

Hay:    There is no significant difference in the mean achievement  scores of students  taught  biology  using  computer  animation  and those  taught using static graphics.

He:    There is no significant difference  in the mean achievement  scores of high and low ability level students taught biology using computer animation and static graphics.

16

Hos:    There is no significant difference in the mean achievement  scores of male and female students taught biology using computer animation and static graphics.

Ho:    There is no significant  interaction  effect of treatment  groups,  ability level and gender on students’  achievement in biology.

₦5,000.00 – DOWNLOAD FULL PROJECT DOWNLOAD FULL PROJECT Added to cart

---

---

---

---

---

Related Project Topics :