Students Variables As Predictors Of Academic Achievement In Biology In Senior Secondary Schools Imo State Nigeria

The importance of Biology is obvious in all realms of human endeavours. However, Senior School students’ academic achievement in Biology has been reported by Chief Examiners for Biology to be unsatisfactory. The unsatisfactory academic achievement has also been attributed to variables that include teachers, students and others. Hence, this study examined students’ variables as predictors of students’ academic achievement in Biology. The objectives of this study were to determine whether students’ (i) motivation, study habits, attitude, interest and absenteeism are predictors of academic achievement in Biology; (ii) motivation is a predictor of academic achievement in Biology; (iii) study habits is a predictor of academic achievement in Biology; (iv) attitude towards Biology is a predictor of academic achievement in Biology; (v) interest is a predictor of academic achievement in Biology; and (vi) absenteeism is a predictor of students’ academic achievement in Biology.rnThe study was a descriptive research of the correlation survey type. The population of the study consisted 386,760 Senior School students in all 296 senior secondary schools, Imo State, Nigeria. A sample size of 900 Biology students drawn from 100 senior secondary schools was selected through simple random sampling techniques. Four adapted research instruments were used to collect data and were tagged; Students’ Motivation in Biology Scale (SMBS), Students’ Study Habits in Biology Scale (SSHBS), Students’ Attitude toward Biology Scale (SATBS) and Students’ Interest in Biology Scale (SIBS). They were validated by experts in science education, measurement and evaluation and Biology giving reliability coefficients 0.89, 0.76, 0.74 and 0.83 respectively. Simple and multiple regressions were the statistical tools used for data analysis. The hypotheses were tested 0.05 levels of significant.rnThe findings of the study were:rni. motivation, study habits, attitude, interest and absenteeism significantly predicted academic achievement in Biology in senior secondary school (R2 =.68, F(1, 898)=317.77, p<0.05);rnii. motivation significantly predicted academic achievement of senior secondary school Biology students (B=.30, t(898) =9.12, p<0.05); (R2 =.10, F(1, 898)=94.47, p<0.05);rniii. study habits significantly predicted academic achievement of senior secondary school Biology students (B=.56, t(898)=14.90, p<0.05); (R2 =.20, F(1, 898)=222.02, p<0.05);rniv. attitude toward Biology significantly predicted academic achievement of senior school Biology students (B=.50, t(898)=13.74, p<0.05); (R2 =.17, F(1, 898)=188.68, p<0.05);rnv. interest significantly predicted academic achievement in senior secondary school Biology students (B=.66, t(898) =16.62, p<0.05); (R2 =.24, F(1, 898)=276.16, p<0.05); andrnvi. absenteeism significantly predicted academic achievement in senior secondary school Biology students (B=-.77, t(898) =-39.39, p<0.05); (R2 =.63, F(1, 898)=1551.2, p<0.05).rnThe study concluded that motivation, study habit, attitude toward Biology, interest, and absenteeism enhanced the achievement of Biology students. This implies that if properly implemented, these variables would enable students to improve their academic achievement. The study recommended that intrinsic motivation, good study habits, positive attitude toward Biology, high interest and high rate of class attendance should be enforced on students.

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