ASSESSING BIOLOGY TEACHERS’ PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON STUDENTS' LEARNING DIFFICULTIES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ILORIN METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

This study explored the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of biology teachers concerning students' learning difficulties in secondary schools in Ilorin metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria. Employing a descriptive survey research design, the study targeted all biology students and teachers in secondary schools within Kwara State. A sample of 120 biology teachers and 180 senior secondary school II (SSII) biology students was selected using random and purposive sampling methods. Guided by three research objectives, the study addressed two research questions descriptively and tested one null hypothesis. Data was collected using two researcher developed questionnaires: the Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Biology Teachers (PCKBT) and the Teacher's Knowledge of Understanding Student's Learning Difficulties (TUSLD). Descriptive statistics, including frequency and percentages, were used to answer the research questions, while an inferential t-test was used to test the hypothesis. Findings revealed that the PCK of biology teachers is low. Additionally, male students with learning difficulties scored higher (M = 18.94, SD = 3.45) than female students (M = 16.49, SD = 3.48). The study found a significant gender influence on the learning difficulties experienced by biology students (F= .003, p=.000 < 0.05), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. These insights can help develop interventions to enhance biology teachers' PCK and could improve biology education for all students.