Influence of Biology Teachers’ Profile and Their Perception of the Use of Resource Persons in Biology Instruction

Abstract

The level of excellence achieved in teaching and learning of Biology is largely shaped by the pedagogical reference(s) used by the teacher and their willingness to adopt innovative instructional methods that are suitable and fit to solve current and emerging classroom and realworld problems. Such a pedagogical approach can involve incorporating resource persons in Biology or from Biology-related fields. This study examined the relationship between Biology teachers’ profile variables (gender, age, academic qualification, and teaching experience) and their perception of the use of resource persons in Biology instruction. By surveying 50 public school Biology teachers using the validated Biology Teachers’ Profile and Perception of Resource Persons Questionnaire (BTPPRPQ), the study applied descriptive statistics and Pearson ProductMoment Correlation, and multiple regression analyses to interpret the data. Key findings and recommendations show that Biology teachers generally favour the inclusion of resource persons in their classrooms. A teacher's academic background and experience do not influence their perception, and gender and age do not play a major role in their perception of the use of resource persons. The study suggests that schools should foster partnerships with science professionals and offer training programs to help teachers better integrate these experts into their lessons.