The interaction of selective attention and cognitive development on achievement in Nigerian Secondary School Genetics.(Report)

The study tried to examine the interaction between two independent variables of selective attention and cognitive development on Achievement in Genetics at the Secondary School level. In looking at the problem of this study three null hypotheses were generated for testing at 0.05 level of significance. Factorial Analysis of Variance design with one dependent variable and two independent variables at two levels together with the t-test was used in the Analysis of the result. Two hundred and forty Senior Secondary School three (S.S.S III) students randomly selected from six secondary schools in Ethiope and Okpe Local Government areas of Delta State were used as subjects of the study. These were randomly assigned to four groups, sixty students per group. Five research instruments were developed and validated for the study. The results of the study showed that the three null hypotheses generated wee rejected. The analysis of the date thus revealed that the variables of selective attention and cognitive development are thus two separate interactive independent variables importance in science education.

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Educators are increasingly concerned about the need to improve students academic achievement. The plethora of research on students academic achievement is a testimony to this concern (e.g. Bajah, 1979, Oyewole 1981, Holliday, 1981, Olayiwola 1999, Okonkwo, 2000 and Nwagbo, 2001). This is as it should be because the consequences of success or failure in schools are far-reaching particularly in developing countries like Nigeria. This is not only because a higher achievement (especially in the sciences) is the foundation for technical skills which is in short supply, but also because higher achievement is particularly valued in a society which sets high premium on academic success as a stepping stone for entrance into more prestigious occupations (Ukeje, 2000).

The view expressed above is particularly true because the inculcation and development of logical reasoning ability (cognitive development) as an important prerequisite to maximizing students achievement on task specific content has been an important objective in science education. The number of studies devoted to this area of studies is a testimony to the significance of this science educational objective (Bajah 1979; Fakunle, 1985; Oyewole, 1982. Nwagbo 2001 and Okoro 2005). Such studies are justified in view of the obvious contribution they will in the technological development of societies.

In a society such as Nigeria where agriculture is supposed to be the cornerstone of the country's economic development, improvement in agriculture is party dependent on the science of genetics. The problem of farming and hunger in part is attributable to the low level in which technology has been applied to agriculture. In recent years, effort shave been intensified to identify the causes and possible solutions to the lukewarm attitude of all the parties involved with the teaching and learning of genetics in schools. Fakunle (1986) in her study observed that there is some positive relationship between developmental levels and achievement in genetics. From the studies of Fakunle (1986) and Okechukwu (1995) on achievement in high school genetics, it can be inferred that genetics is a more difficult concept for early concrete operational subjects than late formal operators because at their early cognitive developmental period, the students may not be ready to incorporate the somewhat abstract concept to their cognitive structure. These studies underscored the need to initiate this study that investigated the effect of logical reasoning ability on achievement in genetics.

Genetics is prone to a lot of information overload common in Biology while teaching and learning the subject. The information overload is common because what we now have in our schools is that most teachers give biology lessons using a lot of explanatory statements followed by lengthy notes. Bhatt (1974) in his study reported that this method of teaching has in most cases left students in confused states. Thus, if students are directed to relevant aspects of information given while teaching and learning Biology materials, this confusion may not arise. It then become necessary to initiate a process where the critical aspect of information provided in Biology lessons and materials are directed at to help the students in achieving more while reading and learning Biology in schools. This implies that a method whereby student's attention are relatively directed to the relevant sections in any given pool of information is necessary in science. This brings us to the importance of selective attention in science education. In very general terms, selective attention is seen as the control of information processing so that a sensory input is perceived or remembered better in one situation than another according to the desire of the subject. Selectivity of attention is necessary because the processing of memory system has a limited capacity. Okoye (1983 and 1990) and Holliday (1983) reported that elective attention as a psychological concept has a significant positive relationship with achievement in Biology. Records on students academic achievement has generally taken the form of human or environmental variable which correlates with higher achievement and which can then be used as predictors of achievement (Babalola 1979 and Okebukola; 1998). Among the many variables identified are individual difference variables such as general ability and logical reasoning factors (Ehindero, 1982; Fakunle, 1985; Olayiwola, 1999; and Okonkwo, 2000).

Research Problem