Effectiveness of Laboratory Method in the Teaching of Biological Science Module One Students at The Eldoret National Polytechnic, Kenya

ABSTRACT Laboratory teaching methods have long played a central role in the effectiveness of teaching the biological science curriculum among learners. However, the lecture style has also been successful in educational institutions at all levels. Trainers at Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions in Kenya employ both lecture and laboratory teaching approaches, yet frequently, the methodologies are to blame for poor results. The study's objective was to assess the efficiency of lectures versus laboratory methods of teaching biological sciences module one students at The Eldoret National Polytechnic to identify the most effective method for improving trainees’ performance. A total of 78 trainees selected through purposive and census sampling constituted the sample size. A pilot study was undertaken for the accuracy and reliability of the instruments, obtaining the correlation coefficient scores of 0.847. Quasi-experimental research using pre- and post-test was employed. T-test, mean, and standard deviation were used in analyzing results. The outcome indicated a significant difference in the two methods of teaching (p=0.000). In terms of students' performance on test examinations, the study concludes that the laboratory method was superior to the lecture method. It is therefore recommended that trainers in TVET institutions use both lecture and laboratory methods in teaching biological sciences through adopting a competence-based education training (CBET) curriculum within the two methods. The entire practice will enable students to get certificates that are pertinent to industry requirements, workplace performance standards, and become the best in the world.