How Pre-service Teachers Learn Microbiology using Lecture, Animations, and Laboratory Activities at one Private University in Rwanda

Abstract

Observing classroom practices and checking the effect of instructional methods on academic achievement are crucial in the teaching and learning process. The present study was aimed at discovering the dominating pre-service biology teachers’ and instructors’ activities in microbiology classes and their respective effects when animations–based instructions and small-group laboratory activities are used. An equivalent time-series design was applied using a small group of participants in year two biology education (N=30, 16 female and 14 males), and a pre-test was used as a pre-intervention comparison test, while a post-test alternated with interventions. Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS) was used to record classroom activities. Before using its inter-rater agreement reached 80%. Pre-service Biology Teachers Achievement Test (PBTAT) with a Pearson’s r reliability of .51 served to measure instructional methods' effect on academic achievement. It was found that the main teaching methods were activities, lectures and animation classes, while group work and instructors moving among the students and guiding them characterized small-group laboratory activity classes. All interventions improved pre-service biology teachers’ academic achievement; however, a statistically significant difference (df=28, p<.05) existed between interventions where small group laboratory activities proved a considerable effect size (d=3.86). No statistically significant difference (df=1, p>.05) was found regarding gender after interventions. However, females scored better than males after the lecture and laboratory methods, while the opposite happened after animation-based instruction. Therefore, we recommend using small-group laboratory activities that promote active learning through student small-group work to improve pre-service biology teachers’ academic achievement in biology.

Effect of problem-based learning on Ugandan secondary school physics classroom practices: an observational study

“…The fact that female teachers performed more than their counterparts was a surprising authentic finding in this study since almost no available studies have investigated performance due to gender among teachers' classroom practices. In a similar study that investigated the performance among pre-service teachers, females showed a better performance than their male counterparts after having been taught with the lecture and lab methods; however, this was the opposite after having been taught utilizing the animation method (Mukagihana et al, 2021). A similar observation did not affect when secondary physics teachers did not visualize different teaching practices (Ndihokubwayo et al, 2020b).…”

Instructors and Students’ Practices and Behaviours during a Quantum Physics class at the University of Rwanda: Exploring the Usage of Multimedia

“…These observations were not only found in physics instructions, but also in other STEM subjects. For instance, Mukagihana et al (2021) found that lectures and small-group laboratory-based activities dominated the main teaching of biology more than animations did. While using COPUS in chemistry instruction, Byusa et al (2020) argued that although teachers put students in groups, students were still learning passively since teachers simply moved around the groups without encouraging the students to complete the given activities.…”

“…Observing classroom practices to assess the effect of instructional methods on students' academic achievement is vital in teaching and learning (Mukagihana et al, 2021). The way sciences, in general, and physics, in particular, are taught do not motivate students to learn actively.…”

“…This is explained by the fact that even if instructors with large classes are likely to lecture, some instructors were observed using interactive teaching methods in STEM courses. However, in a study conducted at the University of Technology and Arts of Byumba (UTAB), Rwanda, Mukagihana et al (2021) found that lecturing and animation-based instructions dominated, together with smallgroup laboratory activities that promoted learner-centredness and achievement.…”

Effect of Inquiry-Based Learning on Students’ Attitude Towards Learning Biology at Upper Secondary Schools in Rwanda

“…Further, cooperative learning, student-centered method, and resource-based teaching methods were found to improve feelings toward biology subjects (Rabgay, 2018;Njoku & Nwagbo, 2020 ;Mukagihana et al, 2021b ). Therefore, factors such as gender would be of interest for researchers to well cater for both males and females inclusively.…”