“Effectiveness Of Using Modular Method In Teaching Biological Science Among Freshman Students At Sulu State College Amidst New Normal.”

Abstract

A module is an innovative teaching strategy that deals with arranging learning experiences in education which helps much the teachers delivers instructions in lieu of pandemic. The strategy of learning modules has become part of all level of teaching. A learning module is a self-learning package dealing with one specific unit of subject matter. It can be used in any setting convenient to the learner and may be completed at the learner’s own pace which   may be used individually or in small groups. It is structured in such a way that learner can identify the objectives he /she wants to achieve. Select the appropriate material, follow a learning sequence by selecting from a variety of methods of presentation, and evaluate his/her own achievements.

In module, learning teacher’s role is a facilitator of learning rather than the traditional dispenser of knowledge. Sufficient theory and practice are available for the application of modular teaching in our classrooms. Therefore as, a prelude this study was conducted in order to check the Effectiveness of Modular method in teaching biology among Science education students.” A Factorial design (2x2) was used for the treatment of data. The Science education students studying biology constituted the population of the study.  Students enrolled in biology subjects randomly selected were taken as the sample of the study. A treatment of developed self-paced modular and non-modular instruction was provided to fifty (50) respondents and the two modules were distributed for four weeks.

The teaching lasted for four weeks via asynchronous and at the end of treatment, a teacher made post-test parallel to pretest was administered to measure the level of retention in biology concepts. To determine the effects of modular teaching on the level of retention, the significant difference between the mean average percentage scores of groups at .05 level was tested by applying t-test dependent samples and correlation. Data analysis revealed that the performances of students in the modular self- paced instruction were almost equal in biological base at the beginning of teaching learning process. The students exposed to modular self-paced instruction in which they learn the modules through reading and intervention of the teacher were done via zoom once a week since distance learning was implemented due to pandemic. .The test was administered via learning management system provided by the school. ZOOM apps was used in discussing the modules. However, comparison of mean average percentage scores of the two classes in the two modules shows no significant advantage. The null hypothesis was rejected, the students in the modular self-paced instruction learning from home have improvements in retention compared to students learning from home without modules and there was a significant difference between mean percentage scores between the pretests and posttests in the two modules used among respondents. Hence, the ultimate result of the study indicated that modular self-paced instruction is effective instructional method of teaching. Further; modular learning is favorable in the level of retention in biology concepts. The results of this study provide base for the application of modular approach in the biology classes as well as for further research in this field and further application of this method to other subject areas and levels.