The study presented the differences of performances between students in rural and urban areas. Rural and urban schools are characterized by its unique strength and weaknesses. “Rural and urban schools are much the same when it comes to resources and learning environments” (EQR, 2003, p.45). Yet there are many variables that affect students’ achievement and those variables are directly related to whether a school is considered a rural or an urban school. Some factors that contribute to the gap performances between students in these two areas were determined and also recommendations in order to overcome this problem were suggested. Although some recommendations have been highlighted, solutions might not be easy for them. The suggestions for improving the performance among rural students is that they must understand their environment properly, and maintain their inner resources like self-efficacy and self-esteem. From this study we can conclude that, there have differences between students performance in rural and urban schools. Students that lives in urban area will get high performance excel opportunities provided by their location. Urban students have greater access to many resources and therefore have opportunities that are not easily accessible to rural students. Besides that urban parents were more professional and they realize the advantage of education. Parents of rural students were less likely to expect their children to advance their education. From the comparison of this study we can know what the differences between rural and urban schools are.

Effects of Jigsaw-Puzzle Instructional Strategy on Secondary School Students’ Performance

The study examined the effects of jigsaw-puzzle instructional strategy on secondary school students’ performance on Growth as a concept in Biology in Ukwa West Local Government Area, Abia State. Gender effect on Biology students’ performance was also investigated. Two objectives, two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. Quasi-experimental design was adopted in this study. One hundred and fifteen (115) Biology students from two mixed secondary schools randomly selected formed the sample size. Biology Performance Test on Growth (BPTOG) which contained twenty (20) multiple choice questions was used for gathering data. Test re-test method was to test the instrument. The BPTOG was validated by two experts in Department of Curriculum Studies and Educational Technology, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Reliability index of 0.76 was obtained using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation. Mean and Standard deviation were used in answering the research questions and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study showed that there was a significant difference between the academic performance of students in experimenta

TEACHERS DEMONSTRATION METHODS OF TEACHING AND STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN BIOLOGY

The issue of using demonstrations (to be defined later) in a chemistry classroom has often been discussed in the research literature (Hofstein & Lunetta, 1984; Bare, & Andrews, 1999; Thompson & Soyibo, 2002). Among the questions posed in the literature, we found the following: Are demonstrations as effective as individual students’ experimentations? Do demonstrations promote the understanding and internalization of scientific concepts? Can demonstrations develop students’ thinking skills? And what conditions are needed to make teachers’ demonstrations more effective than individual students’ experimentations? Although lecture demonstrations have been conducted in chemistry classrooms for a long time, little research exists that documents the frequency that such demonstrations are employed or their effect on learners’ motivation and performance (Price & Brooks, 2012; Odom & Bell, 2015). Shakhashiri (1992) remarked that “Educators have often searched for various ways to teach science”. The use of demonstrations is one of numerous pedagogical interventions that have been adopted for enhancing students’ interest. Experiments and demonstrations that confirm a physicochemical phenomenon such as illustrating chemical processes by light-sticks (Kuntzleman, Rohrer & Schultz, 2012) can be used to facilitate understanding certain chemical concepts, for example, acid-base reactions, redox reactions, fluorescence, quantum chemistry, and thermodynamics.

EXPLORE: TEACHERS DEMONSTRATION METHODS OF TEACHING

A demonstration involves illustrating a point in a lecture or a lesson by means of something other than routine visual aids or other means of instruction. A demonstration in chemistry may be defined as a pedagogical event whose objective is to illustrate a scientific concept (Taylor, 1988). This definition can be broadened and divided into three categories: (1) Visual aids used in an unusual manner, for example, teachers and students using body movements to illustrate acid/base chemistry and oxidation/reduction; another example would be Lomax’s (1994) kinetic class, in which movement is used to reinforce the concept of chemical transformations. (2) Analogical demonstrations, in which one uses a phenomenon whose behavior is similar in relevant aspects to that of the scientific concept under discussion. A good example of this would be the use of steel balls on the glass cover of a watch to illustrate the density of atoms in a pseudo-metallic structure. (3) Real experiments, which are the most common type of demonstration: Shakhashiri presents numerous examples in his five published books (1983, 1985, 1989, 1992 & 2011). According to Chiappetta and Koballa (2002) and Shakhashiri (1992), well prepared and properly presented demonstrations have the potential to enhance students’ understanding of chemistry concepts. Similarly, Hofstein and Lunetta (1982, 2004), in their comprehensive reviews, came to the conclusion that demonstrations have the potential to enhance learning, motivation, and attitudes.
Gardner (1978) suggested that demonstrations may enable learners to evoke the “wow” experience. This consequently can increase their curiosity and enhance their reasoning abilities. In addition, it may have an impact on students’ achievements (Gerber, Cavallo & Marek, 2001). Moreover, there are occasions in which teachers’ demonstrations are educationally more effective than are students’ own experimentations (Hofstein & Lunetta, 2004, Lunetta, Hofstein & Clough, 2007). Although research on the effectiveness of demonstrations has been conducted since the early 1960s, most of the studies were general, namely, comparing students using experimentations with teachers’ demonstrations, covering a wide range of topics and concepts. A number of research papers reported clear benefits when demonstrations are used for teaching the sciences. In a study on college introductory physics courses, Buncick, Betts, and Horgan (2001) found that demonstrations encourage generalization because they promote active participation on the part of the students. An elevated level of student attention and involvement in tasks has also been reported for demonstrations carried out in high-school chemistry courses. For example, Meyar et al. (2003) have shown that demonstrations encourage student involvement, since they are less teacher- oriented and give students an opportunity to produce questions and to become more active in the learning process. This in turn can motivate students to undertake an initial inquiry and also provides a learning opportunity, because it helps create mental links between new and previous learning. In addition, Meyar et al. reported that students can illustrate cognitive strategies by observing the teacher as he thinks out loud while doing the demonstration and as he formulates questions that lead to an explanation of the concepts in question. This may challenge students’ preexisting understanding and can encourage perceptual understanding.
The traditional teaching strategy of using a lecture-type approach may perhaps be favored by those students who are in favor of the didactic methods of learning and who are considered conscientious (Hofstein & Kempa, 1985; Kempa & Diaz, 1995). Demonstrations in use as a teaching strategy may prove beneficial for students with different or special learning needs. It is assumed that, when combined with traditional methods, demonstrations can be effective for low-achieving students with high visual and spatial intelligence but with limited cognitive abilities (Meyer et al, 2003; Rade, 2009; Baddock & Bucat, 2008). Although considerable research has been conducted on the use of demonstrations to teach chemistry, few studies have focused on how effective this method is in promoting cognitive involvement. Hofstein et al. (2005) and Dkeidek, Mamlok-Naaman, and Hofstein (2012) published a study on question asking as a tool for developing high-order thinking skills in the chemistry laboratory. They showed that students in the Jewish sector in Israel ask more questions than their Arab conterparts. This may result from a lack of knowledge in this area, which in turn, may be one of the reasons why it has been so difficult to justify the allocation of teacher time and resources for demonstrations.

Effect of class size on students academic perfomance in biology at SSCE

1.1            Background to the Study
The relationship between class size and academic performance has been a perplexing one for educators. Studies have found that the physical environment, ethnicity, socioeconomics, overcrowding and teaching methods are all variables that affect student achievement (Molnar, 2000). Other factors that affect student achievement are school population and class size (Gentry, 2000; Swift, 2000; Krueger and White Moore, 2007).
 
The issue of poor academic performance of students in Nigeria has been of much concern to all and sundry. The problem is so much that it adds to the widely acclaimed fallen standard of education in Lagos state and Nigeria at large. In order to better understand the skill levels of students, it might be necessary to evaluate factors affecting their performance. These include: school structure and organization, teachers’ quality, curriculum and teaching philosophy (Driscoll, Halcoussis and Svomy, 2008).
 
Overtime, students’ academic performance in both internal and external examinations had been used to determine excellence in teachers and teaching (Ajao, 2001). As school grows, they typically become more bureaucratic, resulting in more formalized human relations and increased curricular specialization. Another stand, typically conducted by economist directs attention to the potential for increased efficiency and cost reductions as schools get bigger. Conclusions from these two streams are not consistent. Although, the studies with an organizational focus generally favour smaller schools, research with an economic focus tends to suggest benefits from increased size.
 
Overpopulation classrooms have increased the possibilities for at risk students, as well as others, to lose interest in school and do poorly on test. There identifies for specific problems regarding overcrowding, students not getting individual attention, low reading scores, frustration and stress felt by the teachers and the inability of students to concentrate or stay on task while in class. The problem identified can be that teachers are unable to give individual attention to students. Teachers’ aides are not always available and sometimes students have to share textbooks. It can take the entire class time for students to find seats, make sure everyone has a textbooks to look at and then explain the next assignment. This leaves no time for individual attention to explain assignment and answer questions. Thus, with teacher unable to help individual students, those who need extra help in gaining or maintaining their reading skills get left behind. They are unable to keep up the reading or in class discussions because of many students in one class.
Overpopulation in schools and classes is a serious problem in many schools systems, particularly in the inner cities where space for new construction is limited. As a result, students find themselves trying to learn while jammed into spaces never intended as classrooms, such as libraries, gymnasiums, laboratories, lunch rooms and even closets. Although, research on the relationship between overcrowding and student leaving had been limited, there are some evidence particularly in high poverty schools, that overcrowding can have adverse impact on learning. A study of overpopulation in schools found that students in such schools score significantly lower on both mathematics and reading exams then did similar students in underutilized schools. In addition, when asked, students and teachers in overpopulation schools agreed that overcrowding negatively affects both classroom activities and instructional technologies (Krueger and Whiteman, 2001).
Crowded classroom conditions not only make it difficult for students to concentrate on their lessons, but inevitably limit the amount of times teachers can spend on innovative teaching methods such as cooperative learning and group work or on teaching anything beyond the barest minimum of required materials. In addition, because teachers must constantly struggle simply to maintain order in an overpopulated classroom, the likelihood increase that they will suffer from burn out earlier than might otherwise be the case.
Although, there is a significantly amount of research analyzing students’ performance (Matuga, 2009; CerezoRUssillo and Casanova Arias, 2004), there is still a need for more concentrate test results. It is necessary to define the effects of environmental, psychological and sociological elements. This clarity will better enable school to provide a quality learning institution – organized and established public domain, with a sphere of knowledge influence and activity (Meram-Webster Dictionary).
 
The idea that school population and class size might affect students’ performance is consistence with the growing literature on the relationship between public sector institutional arrangements and outcome. The purpose of this study is to further examine the relationship of class size, school population and student academic achievement.