Assessment of environmental component of biology curriculum and its implementation in secondary schools in Osun State, Nigeria

Biology is a science subject which is crucial in teaching students’ environmental awareness, ecological responsibility, and sustainability. However, the implementation of environmental components in Nigeria’s secondary school biology curriculum remains ineffective. Hence, this study was conducted to assess the environmental aspect of the biology curriculum and its application in secondary schools in Osun State, Southwestern Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey design to select 24 Biology teachers and 240 students through a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using Environmental Education Content Knowledge Questionnaire, Environmental Education Pedagogical Knowledge Observation Checklist, and Self-efficacy of Environmental Education Questionnaire/questionnaire of Self-efficacy and analysed using descriptive statistics. The analysis revealed that most teachers had sufficient content knowledge, with 54.2% at a high level and 45.8% at a moderate level. Teachers also demonstrated good pedagogical knowledge, as 62.5% were rated moderate and 37.5% high, though teaching was mostly classroom-based with limited field or experimental ecological activities. Students’ self-efficacy was relatively high, with 59.6% reporting high self-efficacy and 86.6% expressing confidence in understanding environmental issues, succeeding academically, and engaging in responsible environmental behaviour. These findings suggest that while foundational knowledge and confidence levels are adequate, the limited use of experiential learning approaches may constrain the practical development of environmental competencies among students. The study concludes that teachers may possess sufficient knowledge to promote environmental education, but more attention should be paid to experiential and field-based learning as a way to improve the implementation of the curriculum and promote the environmental competence of students.