A study of Nigerian pupils' understanding of selected biological concepts

120 Nigerian Secondary school biology pupils, mostly aged 16–18, were interviewed individually to assess their level of understanding of a range of biological concepts. The concepts were related to growth, reproduction, and transport mechanisms within living organisms. The responses of each pupil were scored and examined to determine whether they revealed concrete or formal operational thinking. Given 21 opportunities to do so, almost 50 per cent of pupils either failed to exhibit formal thinking at all, or revealed it on only one occasion. Fewer than 5 per cent exhibited formal thinking on ten or more occasions. There was no significant difference in the performance of boys as compared with girls, nor between pupils whose parents were from different socio-economic groups. Pupils from urban schools performed significantly better than those from rural schools. Pupils' common misconceptions were identified. The importance of ascertaining pupils' misconceptions and their levels of understanding of biological concepts is discussed from the viewpoint of the classroom teacher.