Abstract
The study examined the effect of Laboratory method on the academic performance of Secondary School Students’ in Biology in Ethiope West L.G.A of Delta State .Three research questions were raised and three hypotheses were formulated and tested. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design. A total of 200 SSS2 Students’ were randomly Selected from five public secondary schools and divided into experimental (110) and control groups (90). The experimental group received instruction using the laboratory method, while the control group was taught using the traditional (lecture) method. Data was collected using the Biology Students’ Achievement Test (BSAT) and a structured questionnaire which was validated by experts and analyzed using independent sampled t-test and ANOVA at 0.05 level of significance. The reliability coefficients for BSAT using Cronbach’s Alpha was 0.70.The instruments indicated that they are reliable. The findings of the study revealed that: students’ taught using the laboratory method perform significantly better than those taught through lecture; students who frequently participated in laboratory practical showed significantly more positive attitudes than those who did not; there was no significant difference in performance between male and female students. The study concludes that the laboratory method is an effective instructional strategy for improving students’ achievement and interest in Biology. Based on these findings, the study recommends, among others, that to improve students’ academic performance in Biology, Biology teachers’ should adopt laboratory teaching methods regularly.
Keywords: Laboratory Method, Traditional Method, Biology, Academic Performance, Secondary School