Pupils' Abilities and Academic Achievement in an Individualised Biology Curriculum

Abstract

An individualised audio‐tutorial (IAT) learning unit in biology ‘The Cell’ was implemented in ninth grade junior high school. The cell subject was divided in three subunits: the cell membrane, the cell nucleus and the cell organelles. The sample included 180 pupils (115 pupils in the experimental group which learned in an IAT mode of instruction, and 65 pupils in the control group who learned in a frontal classroom‐laboratory method). Pupils' achievement was measured in relation to gender, academic background in mathematics and biology and /Q levels. Data were treated by analyses of variance and covariance, while pupils' scores in previous knowledge served as covariate. The results indicate that while the control group had significantly higher scores on their previous knowledge in biology and the cell subject, both groups achieved equally as well in three consecutive achievement tests given at the end of each of the three learning units. While in previous knowledge in biology tests girls scored significantly lower than boys, no significant differences between boys' and girls' mean scores were found in all three achievement tests in the experimental group. Other results show that students with high scores in mathematics, biology and IQ tests scored higher in all three achievement tests when instructed in an IAT method. Results are discussed in the context of the heterogeneous student population of science classrooms in schools today.