Effect of Concept Mapping on Federal Colleges of Education Students Academic Achievement in Cell Biology in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of concept mapping on the academic achievement of 100-level Biology students in Cell Biology at Federal Colleges of Education in Southwest Nigeria. A 3x1x1 factorial quasi-experimental design was used, involving pre-tests and post-tests with both treatment and control groups. The treatment groups were taught using concept mapping strategies, while the control group received conventional teaching methods. The sample comprised 240 Biology students from two colleges, selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. The study's instruments included the Biology Achievement Test (BAT) and tailored lesson plans for both concept mapping and conventional methods. Hypothesis testing using ANCOVA revealed significant main effects of concept mapping and gender on academic achievement, as well as a significant interaction between the two. Concept mapping significantly improved students' academic performance (p<0.05), with a 22.2% contribution to the variance in achievement. Gender also played a significant role, with females outperforming males. The interactive effect demonstrated that concept mapping positively influenced both genders, but more so for males. The study recommends incorporating concept mapping into the Biology curriculum and tailoring teaching strategies to address gender-specific learning needs.