AN INVESTIGATIVE STUDY INTO THE ATTENDANT EFFECTS OF MAKING BIOLOGY OPTIONAL IN NIGERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS (A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED SCHOOLS IN OGUN STATE)

The benefits Biology offers can neither be enjoyed nor applied by all Nigerian Secondary School Students due to the new Secondary School Curriculum. This study investigates attendant effects emanating from the new curriculum review (2011) which made Biology optional in senior secondary schools. Three hundred and sixty Biology students and twenty-five Biology Teachers samples randomly selected from public and private senior secondary schools in Odeda Local Government and Abeokuta South Local Government Areas were considered for the study. The study employed a descriptive survey design using a structured questionnaire and oral interview as means of data collection. The data collected were analyzed using a descriptive mean and simple percentage and the hypotheses tested using t- test with the level of significance considered at P< 0.05. Findings from the study showed that 76% of the respondents agreed that the new curriculum has led to reduction in students' enrollment for the subject. Moreover, 64% agreed that biology teachers are underutilized. Also, 92% and 49.7% of the teachers and Students respondents respectively agreed that making Biology an optional subjects at secondary school level is not a good decision by the education policy maker. In conclusion, the new curriculum review has given rise to serious attendant problems.