COGNITIVE ABILITY AS CORRELATE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN GENETICS

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between cognitive ability and students’ achievement in Genetics among senior secondary school students in Anambra State, Nigeria. Genetics, an important concept in Biology with applications in medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology, continues to pose challenges to learners as reflected in persistent poor performance in external examinations. Cognitive ability, representing students’ intellectual capacity to reason, analyze, and solve problems, is recognized as a crucial factor in learning outcomes. A correlational research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 13,596 SS3 Biology students enrolled in 267 public secondary schools across six education zones in the 2023/2024 academic session. A sample of 300 students was selected through multistage sampling techniques. Data were collected using the Students’ Cognitive Ability Scale (SCAS), validated by experts in Science Education, with a reliability coefficient of 0.76 established using Cronbach’s alpha. Students’ achievement in Genetics was measured using their continuous assessment and examination scores. Data were analyzed using linear regression to answer the research questions, while ANOVA of regression was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed a significant positive relationship between cognitive ability and achievement in Genetics, with gender showing no significant moderating effect. The study concluded that cognitive ability plays a critical role in students’ achievement in Genetics and recommended that teachers adopt differentiated instructional strategies that cater to varying levels of cognitive ability among learners.