EFFECT OF DRAMA AS A TOOL FOR ENHANCING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND INTEREST AMONG BIOLOGY STUDENTS IN SOME SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NASSARAWA LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The study investigated the effect of drama as a tool for enhancing academic achievement and interest among Biology students in selected secondary schools in Nassarawa Local Government. Drama method of teaching allows students to discover specific information by themselves before they make generalization. Three research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. Quasi-experimental design was adopted for the study, specifically, non-equivalent control group design. The study was carried out in selected schools in Nassarawa Local Government. The sample for the study comprised of 80 SS II students from two intact classes in two secondary schools in Nassarawa Local Government, drawn using purposive sampling techniques. The experimental group was taught using drama method, while the control group was taught using the conventional lecture method. The treatments lasted for four weeks. Two instruments were used for data collection in the study namely Biology Achievement Test (BAT). Data collected were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results revealed that Drama instructional method was superior to the conventional instructional method in facilitating students’ performance and interest in basic Biology. There was no significant difference in the mean scores of male and female students in Biology after the treatment, although male students performed slightly better than their female counterpart. Finally, the limitations of the study and suggestions for further studies were made.