Overcoming Biology Anxiety through Inclusive Pedagogy: A study of Senior Secondary Students in Ilorin West, Nigeria
Loading...
Date
2026-03-26
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ilorin Journal of Education, Faculty of Education, University of Ilorin Journal
Abstract
This study examined the prevalence of Biology-related anxiety among Senior Secondary School students and evaluated effective strategies for mitigating its impact within Ilorin West Local Government of Kwara State, Nigeria. A descriptive design was adoptedfor the study. The population for this study comprised all public Senior Secondary Schools in Ilorin West, Kwara State. A multi-stagesampling procedure was employed for this study. At the first stage, a purposive sampling technique was used to select three (3) senior secondary schools within Ilorin West. At the second stage, a stratified sampling technique was used to classify respondents into senior secondary school two SSII and three SSIII from the three (3) schools chosen. While at the third stage, a simple random sampling technique was used to select sixty (60) respondents from each stratum. Thus, a total of three hundred and sixty (360) respondents were selected from SSII and SSIII of the three schools selected as the sample of this study.Findings revealed that factors such as fear of failure, low self-confidence, overwhelming content, and traditional teacher-centred methods significantly contribute to biology anxiety. Limited access to practical resources and complex diagrams intensified student stress. The study also revealed that interactive teaching methods, peer collaboration, real-life application of Biology concepts, and consistent feedback from teachers significantly reduced anxiety and increased student engagement. The study, therefore, concludes that addressing biology anxiety requires a shift toward active learning strategies, the integration of digital tools, and improved teacher-student relationships. The study recommends training of teachers to ensure a more inclusive, supportive, and engaging biology learning environment.