Science Process Skills and Academic Performance of Students in Cross River State Colleges

Abstract

The study examines the science process skills acquisition and academic achievement of Chemistry/ Biology students in colleges of education in Cross Rivers State, Nigeria. A null hypothesis was formulated to guide the study. Observing, inferring, measuring and classifying skills are not significant predictors of a student’s academic performance in biology. The research design adopted for this study was ex post facto. A census study of 134 NCE 2 students of Akamkpa and Obudu Colleges of Education was used for the study. Two Biology Performance Tests (BPT) and a science process skill acquisition test (SPSAT). These instruments were validated in the Departments of Biology Education and Measurement and Evaluation. Kuder Richardson 20 (KR20) and Cronbach alpha reliability methods were used to estimate the reliability indices for biology performance tests. One-way analysis of variance and multiple regression analysis were used to test the null hypothesis. The result revealed that observing, informing, measuring and classifying skills are significant predictors of student’s performance in biology. Based on the finding, it was concluded that observing, inferring measuring and classifying science process skills are significant predictors of student’s performance in biology. It was recommended among others that science teachers should encourage the use of science process skills in other to facilitate the learning of science concepts as well as provide a good spirit of science among learners.