INFLUENCE OF OUTDOOR LEARNING ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL BIOLOGY STUDENTS IN GOMBE METROPOLIS

ABSTRACT This study investigated the influence of outdoor learning on the academic achievement of senior secondary school biology students in Gombe Metropolis. The research adopted a descriptive design. The population of the study comprised all senior secondary school biology teachers in public senior secondary schools within Gombe Metropolis. A sample of 80 biology teachers was selected from 18 schools using simple random sampling. Data was collected using a designed questionnaire titled "Outdoor Learning Resources Utilization Questionnaire (OLRUQ). The instrument's validity was ensured through expert review, and reliability was established with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.83. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency distributions, percentages, means, and standard deviations. The study found that the majority of the teachers use outdoor learning resources, and school gardens and school farms are the most frequently utilized resources. Plant Anatomy & Physiology and Ecology are the topics mostly taught using outdoor learning resources. An overwhelming majority of the teachers perceive that outdoor learning resources have a positive influence on the academic achievement of students. Based on these findings, the study recommends that schools and educational authorities organize workshops and training sessions to encourage teachers to integrate outdoor learning, explore partnerships with environmental organizations to provide access to a broader range of outdoor learning environments, and create specific guidelines and lesson plans that incorporate outdoor learning activities into the curriculum