ANALYSIS AND DESCRIPTION OF ANALOGIES USED
IN PRESENTING GENETICS IN SENIOR SCHOOL
BIOLOGY TEXTBOOKS IN NIGERIA.
M.Ed. INTERIM REPORT
BY:
ONASANYA, Folake Temitope
97/25OC066
Department of Science Education,
Faculty of Education, University of Ilorin,
Ilorin, Nigeria.
Supervisor:
PROF. I. O. ABIMBOLA
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
Background to the Problem
 Science is a system of acquiring knowledge based on scientific
process or method in order to organize body of knowledge
gained through research.
 Textbooks are vital parts of instructional materials which cannot
be overlooked in teaching and learning process.
 Textbooks are regarded by educators throughout the world as a
good source of information for teaching students.
 Textbooks serve as resource centres to teachers where they
draw knowledge to increase their effectiveness and efficiency
while students use them to complement what they have been
taught in class.
 Nigerian science teachers rely on textbooks for the appropriate
content materials, which satisfy the requirements of the West
African Examinations Council syllabi in different science subjects.
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The teaching of biology in senior secondary schools will be
greatly enhanced with the use of textbooks because
textbooks play important roles in the teaching and learning
process.
Abimbola (2006), defined analogy as a method of describing
things that are not known in terms of things that are known. It
is a way of describing things they see in terms of what they
had seen before, in terms of resemblance so that
understanding can be achieved and communication made
effective.
Statement of the Problem
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Science uses highly codified technical language that is different in
some cases, from everyday language use of the learners.
Mastropieri and Scruggs (1991) stated that language can interfere
with students’ test results and interactions between students and
their teachers.
Many students do not do well in science as a result of the language
used in communicating science concepts.
Researchers have identified the teacher’s language use as a
barrier to the students’ understanding of science. (Ogunniyi, 1986).
This study therefore focuses on the analogies used in presenting
genetics in selected biology textbooks.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to identify and
analyze the analogies used in presenting genetics
in senior school biology textbooks in Nigeria.
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Specifically, efforts were made to:
(1) Identify the analogies.
(2)
Compare the use of analogies in selected biology
textbooks.
(3)
Describe the analogies identified in the selected
biology textbooks.
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Research Questions
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In this research, answers were sought to the following research
questions:
(i) What are the analogies used in
presenting
genetics in selected biology textbooks?
(ii) How do the selected biology textbooks compare in
the
use of analogies for explaining genetics?
(iii) What is the description of the analogies used in
treating genetics in the selected biology textbooks?
Scope of the Study
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The scope of the study was limited to these selected biology
textbooks:
(1) STAN Biology 3 for Senior Secondary Schools.
(2) Modern Biology for Senior Secondary Schools.
(3) New Biology for Senior Secondary Schools.
(4) Senior Secondary Biology 3.
(5) Comprehensive Certificate Biology for Senior Secondary
Schools.
(6) Essential Biology for Senior Secondary
Schools.
Significance of the Study
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Findings of this study would be of benefits to:
Textbook authors
Science teachers
Teachers in training
Students
School administrators
Curriculum developers
Researchers
Clarification of Major Terms and
Variables
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The following terms were defined as they were used in the study
for the purpose of clarity:
Biology
Genetics
DNA
Gene
Heredity
Variation
Analogy
Analog / Base
Target
Unshared Attributes.
CHAPTER TWO
Review of Related Literature
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The review had being done under the following subheadings:
(1) Nature, Objectives and Contents of Senior
Secondary School Biology Curriculum.
(2) Available Biology Textbooks used in Nigerian
Secondary Schools.
(3) Studies on the Effects of Analogies used in
Presenting Genetics in Biology Textbooks.
(4) Importance of Analogies in the Teaching and
Learning Process.
(5) Appraisal of the Reviewed Literature.
CHAPTER THREE
Research Methodology
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This chapter revealed the method employed in carrying out the
research under the following sub-headings:
Research Type
Sample and Sampling Technique
Research Instruments
Instrument Validation
Procedure for Data Collection
Data Analysis Technique.
Research Type
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This research was descriptive in nature, it employed the survey
method and content analysis technique to identify analogies in
the selected biology textbooks.
Research Instrument
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The instrument for this research was a format designed to
identify and compile analogies in the selected biology textbooks.
It also contained information on the name of the textbooks,
frequency and percentages of those textbooks that used such
analogies and textbooks that do not use such analogies.
Analogies
Frequency
Percentage
Used
(Textbooks)
Frequency
Percentage
Not Used
(Textbooks)
Instrument Validation
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Content and face validation of the instrument was ensured by
giving the instrument to my supervisor and two other lecturers in
the Department of Science Education, University of Ilorin. These
experts read through the contents and made necessary
corrections. The final draft of the instrument was eventually
drafted based on the experts’ corrections and advice.
Procedure for Data Collection
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The researcher read through the selected biology
textbooks thoroughly.
Identify the analogies
Compare the use of analogies
Describe the analogies.
Data Analysis Technique
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Analogies identified in the six selected
biology textbooks served as the data which
was analysed using frequency counts and
percentages.
CHAPTER FOUR
Data Analysis
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This chapter presents the analysis of the results
obtained from this study.
Table 8 shows the combined list of all the analogies identified in the selected biology
textbooks.
S/N
Analogies
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Two sets of chromosomes
Alternative form
Not pure-breeding
Thread-like
Two threads
Resembles a double helix
Two long chains
Carriers of a trait
Positions of genes
Chains
Plants like the parent type
Thread forming
Reduction division
The transmission of biological characters from parents to offspring
Pure breeding
Dice throwing
Like chromosomes
Like different pairs of chromosomes do
Like chromosomes do
Like chromosomes
Table 9 shows the format used in the comparison of analogies in the selected biology
textbooks.
Target
Analogy
STAN Bio
Modern Bio
New Bio
Senior Sec.
Bio
Comp. Cert.
Bio
Essential
Bio
Table 10 shows the format used for the frequency count and percentages of
analogies used and not used in the selected biology textbooks.
Analogies
Frequency
%
Used
Frequency
%
Not Used
Table 11: Analogies identified in the selected biology textbooks and their percentages.
Book Title
STAN Biology 3 for Senior Secondary Schools
New Biology for Senior Secondary Schools
Modern Biology for Senior Secondary Schools
Essential Biology for Senior Secondary Schools
Senior Secondary Biology 3
Comprehensive Certificate Biology for Senior Secondary Schools
Frequency
14
12
10
9
8
8
Percentage
22.9
19.7
16.4
14.8
13.1
13.1
Fig. 3 shows a Bar Chart illustrating the percentage distribution of the
analogies in the selected biology textbooks.
25.00
20.00
15.00
10.00
5.00
0.00
STAN New
Modern Essential
Biology Biology Biology Biology
Senior
Comprehensive
Sec. Biology Cert. Biology
Summary of Major Findings
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Based on the data collected, analyzed and interpreted, the following
findings were obtained.
All the sampled biology textbooks contained similar analogies, but
they differ in the number of analogies used.
STAN Biology 3 contained more analogies than other selected
textbooks with the highest percentage of 22.9 > New Biology for
Senior Secondary Schools with a percentage of 19.7 > Modern
Biology for Senior Secondary Schools having a percentage of 16.4 >
Essential Biology for Senior Secondary Schools with a percentage
of 14.1 > Senior Secondary Biology 3 and Comprehensive
Certificate Biology with a percentage of 13.1 each.
Senior Secondary Biology 3 and Comprehensive Certificate Biology
for Senior Secondary Schools contained the least number of
analogies with a percentage of 13.1 respectively.
CHAPTER FIVE
Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendations
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This chapter deals with the discussion of the major findings, the
conclusion, recommendations and suggestion for further studies.
Recommendations
Textbook authors should use more analogies in their books, so that both
students and teachers reading them would be brought to their real world
that is, more understanding will be achieved by their readers.
Teachers should use various strategies such as the use of analogies to
explain simple, difficult and abstract scientific concepts.
Teacher educators should teach student teachers how to use analogies in
teaching different science subjects. They should also make conscious
effort so that student teachers use analogies to teach science subjects in
their teaching practice.
The government through ministry of education should arrange for periodic
seminars and workshops that will improve the qualities of teaching
various science teachers especially in the generation and use of
analogies to teach students.
Principals of schools should encourage biology teachers to attend
workshops, seminars and conferences to improve their knowledge.
Suggestion for Further Studies
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In view of the findings of this study, the researcher
suggests that this present study should be replicated
using other selected biology textbooks to determine if
there are other biology textbooks, which included more
analogies than STAN Biology 3 and also determine the
reliability of the present findings.
Thanks for Listening
and God Bless.