Effect of Behavioral Objectives on Student Achievement in Biology

This study attempts to determine if utilization of behavioral objectives in the freshman biology sequence significantly improved student achievement. The mean grade point of students in the sequence in the two years preceding the use of behavioral objectives was compared with the mean grade point of students in the sequence in two years when behavioral objectives were applied. A one tailed t-test using mean biology grade point was used to test the directional hypothesis: the experimental group achieved at a. significantly higher level than the control group. The directional hypothesis was tested at the .05 level of significance for a one-tailed test. The critical t-value was 1.645. The calculated t-value was 1.76. The data support a conclusion that behavioral objectives in the freshman biology sequence significantly improved student achievement. Continued and expanded use of behavioral objectives is recommended