CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
This chapter presents the procedure that will be adopted in carrying out
the study. It describes the research design, population, sample and
sampling technique, research instruments, validity and reliability of
instruments, procedure for data collection, and method of data analysis.
3.2 Research Design
The study will adopt a quasi-experimental design. Specifically, the pre-
test, post-test control group design will be used. In this design, two
experimental groups and one control group will be formed. One
experimental group will be taught Biology using the demonstration
method, the second group will be taught using the guided discovery
method, while the control group will be taught using the conventional
lecture method. The pre-test and post-test will be administered to
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This design is considered appropriate because it allows the researcher
to compare the effect of different teaching strategies on students’
achievement in a classroom setting.
3.3 Population of the Study
The population of the study comprises all Senior Secondary School Two
(SS2) Biology students in Coker-Aguda Local Council Development Area
(LCDA) of Lagos State. For the purpose of this research, the target
population will consist of 60 students drawn from three secondary
schools — one public and two private schools — with 20 students
selected from each school.
3.4 Sample and Sampling Technique
A total of 60 SS2 Biology students will be selected as the sample for the
study using the purposive sampling technique. The technique is suitable
because only schools that offer Biology and have accessible SS2 students
will be selected. The sample distribution will be as follows:
- One public school – 20 students
- Two private schools – 40 students (20 from each)
Each group will be exposed to one of the three teaching methods
(demonstration, guided discovery, or lecture).
3.5 Research Instrument
The instrument for data collection will be a Biology Achievement Test
(BAT) designed by the researcher. The test will consist of multiple-
choice and short-answer questions covering the selected Biology topics
taught during the experiment. The BAT will be used to measure
students’ achievement before and after the treatment.
The instrument will be structured into two parts:
- Section A: Demographic information (school type, gender, etc.)
- Section B: 25 objective test items on selected Biology topics (e.g., cell
structure, photosynthesis, classification of living things).
3.6 Validity of the Instrument
To ensure validity, the Biology Achievement Test (BAT) will be
submitted to three experts in Science Education and Measurement &
Evaluation for review. Their suggestions and corrections will be used to
modify and improve the instrument to ensure that it accurately
measures what it is designed to assess.
3.7 Reliability of the Instrument
The reliability of the instrument will be determined using the test–
retest method. The test will be administered to a sample of 20 SS2
Biology students outside the study schools at an interval of two weeks.
The two sets of scores obtained will be correlated using the Pearson
Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r). A reliability coefficient of
0.70 or above will be considered acceptable, indicating that the
instrument is reliable.
3.8 Procedure for Data Collection
The researcher will seek permission from the principals of the selected
schools before the commencement of the study. The procedure for data
collection will involve the following steps:
1. Pre-test: Administered to all groups before the lesson to determine
their initial knowledge of the topic.
2. Treatment:
- Group A (Public school) – taught using the Demonstration method
- Group B (Private school 1) – taught using the Guided Discovery
method
- Group C (Private school 2) – taught using the Lecture method
(control)
Each lesson will last for two weeks, with three teaching periods per
week.
3. Post-test: After the treatment, the same BAT will be administered
again to all students to measure achievement gains.
4. The researcher will collect all scripts for marking and data analysis.
3.9 Method of Data Analysis
The data collected will be analyzed using both descriptive and
inferential statistics.
- Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) will be used to
answer the research questions.
- Inferential statistics (t-test and ANOVA) will be used to test the null
hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance.
The statistical analysis will be carried out using Statistical Package for
the Social Sciences (SPSS) to ensure accuracy and clarity of results.
3.10 Ethical Considerations
The researcher will ensure that all ethical guidelines are followed
during the study. Informed consent will be obtained from school
authorities and students. Participants’ identities and responses will be
treated with confidentiality, and the data collected will be used strictly
for academic purposes.