Challenges of Teaching and Learning Biology Education in Tertiary Institution Using the University of Benin as a Case Study

ABSTRACT
This study investigates challenges of teaching and learning of Biology education in tertiary institutions using the University of Benin as a case study. To guide the study, three research questions were raised.
The study adopted a descriptive survey research design, with a population that consists of 100 students of the Department of Biology Education in University of Benin. simple and stratified sampling techniques was used in selecting the respondents. Questionnaire were used for data collection. After experts' validation of the instrument, it was pilot-tested for reliability. A Cronbach alpha co-efficient of 0.621 was obtained for the reliability; which shows a very high instrument’s stability. The collected data were analysed using descriptive including frequency count, percentages and mean score analysis.
The findings of the study revealed that Biology students are faced with numerous challenges in learning Biology in tertiary institution. The findings also revealed that challenges influenced students’ learning and performance in Biology. It was also revealed that implementing the recommendations from students will help mitigate Biology students challenges in learning Biology. It was therefore concluded that inadequate laboratory equipment, qualified instructors, structured curriculum, sufficient finance and practical activities improves comprehension by giving abstract biological topics a more tangible and visually appealing representation. It was recommended that Schools should allocate funds to equip classrooms with up-to-date laboratory equipment, Regular training programs should be provided for Biology teachers to enhance their proficiency with laboratory tools and schools should routinely assess the relevance and accuracy of laboratory materials used in Biology classes.