The impact of improvised instructional materials on students’ academic achievement in biology in the Cape Coast Metropolitan area

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the impact of improvised instructional materials on the performance of senior high school students in biology. A sequential-exploratory mixedmethod research design was employed, and data from four senior high schools were conveniently selected from the Cape Coast Metropolitan Area. The sample consisted of 136 students and 16 biology teachers. Tests, questionnaires, and focused group interviews were used to collect data for analysis. The study sought to answer three research questions: (1) What are the views of teachers and students about the extent to which improvised instructional materials affect students’ achievement in biology? (2) what challenges do biology teachers face in improvising instructional materials? and (3) what is the impact of improvised instructional materials on student achievement in biology? SPSS software was used to organize the data into frequencies, means and charts. The findings showed that improvised instructional materials are a key factor that promotes academic achievement in biology. However, biology teachers face several challenges, including monetary problems, lack of motivation, and lack of knowledge and skills in improvisation. The study also revealed that improvised instructional materials had a significant positive impact on students' learning outcomes (p-value = 0.00). Overall, the study highlights the importance of improvised instructional materials in enhancing students' academic achievement in biology, and the need for biology teachers to be adequately equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to improvise instructional material.