Attitude Of Senior Secondary School Teachers Towards Education Field Trip In Biology
[ILORIN METROPOLIS]

CHAPTER ONE
                                             INTRODUCTION
Background to the problem
Biology is a vast subject containing many different topics but as a general overview it can be classified as the study of life and living organisms. As a school subject it has to be one of the more interesting lessons because it looks at how the natural world has developed to be the way it is today from genetics and the human body to photosynthesis and the structure of leaves. Biology is taught with the effective methodological approaches. Field trips can be considered as one the three avenues through which biology can be taught, namely, through formal classroom teaching, practical work and field trips. (Duvall, 2011)
       Wikipedia (2014) defined field trip or excursion as a journey by a group of people to place away from their normal environment. The purpose of the trip is usually observation for education, non-experimental research or to provide student with experiences outsider their everyday activities. The use of field trip in teaching and learning helps to bring about effective and efficient learning in biology Popular field trip sites include zoos, nature centres, hospitals, amusement park, science museums, and factories.
    Shyley (2012) posited that teacher perception on the educational potential of biological field trip had been conceptualized to address the trend and its implication to the academic the quality of learning that student acquire and the degree of experience that student have from their educational activities depend greatly on their teacher.
    Quantitative studies of the attitude of teacher toward field trip were undertaken by several researchers that include Falk and Balling (2010) Gayford (2012) and Davidman (2014) The researchers found that, in the opinion of teacher, the positive benefits derived from field trip were;- hand-on real world experiences, positive attitude to science and motivation toward the subject, improvement of the socialization between student which would impinge on the classroom and development rapport between student and teachers, enabling teacher to utilize other learning strategies such as cooperative learning. However, negative attitude of teacher revealed by the research related to a number of factors, some of which are interrelated difficulties with transportation including cost.
    In recent time there has been a growing interest in the development of fieldtrip to teachers and students according to Orion (2013).
    School fieldtrip is an effective educational activity for students that helps facilitate fast and efficient learning method. This is a wonderful  opportunity for students to take a break from the classroom lecture and to have some fun and excitement while learning at the sametime. Exposing students to an actual  and hands-on learning experience like a school fieldtrip is an effective method of teaching.
    Fieldtrips are recognized as important moments in learning, a shared social experience that provides the opportunity for students to encounter and explore novel things in an authentic setting. It is important to recognize that learning outcomes from fieldtrips can range from cognitive to affective outcomes (Storksdieck, 2012). Among the many potential outcomes research has shown that fieldtrips:- expose students to new experiences and can increase interest and engagement in science regardless of prior interest in a topic (Kiesiel, 2011). Fieldtrip are experiences that can be recalled and useful long after a visit (Falk, 2013). It can result in affective gains such as more positive feelings toward a topic (Nadelson, 2012). Research has demonstrated that fieldtrip can be designed to more effectively support students learning. Fieldtrips work best when they provide support for students in a personally meaningful way. Learning in fieldtrips is impacted by many factors (Stocksdieck, 2012). The structure of the fieldtrip impacts learning.
    A successful and quality fieldtrip requires teacher preparation and interaction. Taking students to fieldtrip help teachers see teaching in a different light. Students ask questions on things they saw that leads in to intellectual dialogue and development. When answers are found to the questions asked by students, it help the teacher to reflect upon his own biases and insider/outsider. Many students who become interested in particular themes of sites during fieldwork become interested in employment in issues covered in fieldtrips.
    It is not gain saying to say that, a key method of supporting the work done in the classroom or the laboratory is for teachers to take their students on an educational biology fieldtrip. Students may not be aware of all the cultural implications of certain job and industries, and fieldtrip give them the opportunity to see these implications. Fieldtrip are also ideal for students who may become bored with the classroom routine. They are particularly helpful for classes that have a large amount of repetitive material and can help students get excited for continued learning. Fieldtrip hold the ability to make a classroom more lively and can provide energy for bored students.