Abstract:
The Comparative Education Study and Adaptation Center (CESAC) developed a science programme, the Nigerian Secondary School Science Project (NSSSP) in Biology in 1970. Since June 1974, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) has set special papers on this biology project, popularly referred to as the CESAC biology syllabus or biology O/L alternative. By June 1981 a total of a hundred and twenty six Secondary Schools had tried this project and a total of twenty one thousand, six hundred and fourty-two (21,642) biology students had enrolled in the West African School C e r t i f i c a t e (WASC) examination for t h i s WAEC special papers on t h e CESAC biology syllabus. No study liars been made on t h e subsequent performance of these CESAC biology graduands compared with t r a d i t i o n a l biology graduands (Non-CESAC) in any immediate post seconder; biology programme. Tills study compares t h e performance of CESAC biology graduands with traditional (non-CESAC) biology graduinds in School of Basic Studies (SBS) of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, The hypotheses tested were as follows: 1. There will be no significant difference is the performances of CESAC and non-CESAC studer ts in; i i i (a) final examination of SBS biology, and (b) the sub-tests (practical biology and cortinuous assessment) of the SBS biology programme.
2. The performances of CESAC students from Federal Government Colleges, will not be significantly different from those of CESAC students of non- Federal Government Colleges in; (a) final examination of SBS biology progranme, and (b) the sub-tests (practical biology and continuous assessment) of SBS biology programme. A population of one hundred and sixteen students was used for the study. The instruments used were, the IJMB final examination score, the final practical biology score end continuous assessment score.. The data were analyzed using the S t a t i s t i c a l Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) programme at the Ahmadu Bello University Computer Center. The analyses showed that using the Pearson Product moment Correlation Coefficient, all the groups were homogeneous and the correlations were all significant beyond the 0.05 level. The mean scores of each group showed very minor differences in favor of the non-CESAC groups. The ANOVA showed there were no significant difference in performances at 0.05 confidence level, among the groups in all the instruments used. The hypotheses were a l l accepted on the basis of this analysis. A brief recall was made of the inputs into the CESAC and traditional biology programme. To account for the fact that there was no significant difference in performances of the groups, it was inferred that either the instruments used for the study or the teachers of the CESAC biology project in schools, were not achieving the CESAC biology objectives. It was also inferred that some common defects in the CESAC biology project could bring about the results. On the basis of these findings recommendations were made to Federal Ministry of Education, CESAC and a call for further evaluation of the CESAC biology graduands performance especially in attitude test.
