AN EVALUATION OF A RURAL SCHOOL'S GRADE 10 STUDENTS' PERFORMANCE IN K-12 BIOLOGY

Biology is taught in the second year of the old Secondary Science curriculum; however currently, it is taught every year in the Enhanced Basic Education Curriculum in a Spiral progression approach. With this, the researcher determined the performance of Grade 10 students in Biology at a rural school in the K–12 spiral progression. A total of 76 students were given an Achievement Test that covered Biology competencies from Grades 7 – 9 before the beginning of the third quarter (Biology). Their performance level was determined through a Quarterly Exam and Performance Tasks specified in the learners' modules. The Performance Tasks were assigned during the third quarter (Biology), and the Quarterly Exam was administered at the end of the quarter. The researcher utilized the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Program to analyze the data. Procedures and techniques of descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were utilized to determine the performance level of the students in the Achievement Test and the Quarterly Exam and Performance Tasks. Inferential statistics such as Pearson r was used to determine the relationship between students’ Achievement Test results and their performance level in Quarterly Exam and Performance Tasks. According to the study's findings, students at a rural high school performed poorly on the Achievement Test. Their performance on the Quarterly Exam demonstrated that they did not fulfill their goals in terms of acquiring Biology competencies. They achieved the minimum competencies in completing tasks in Biology based on their performance in the Performance Tasks. The result of the Achievement Test has a significant relationship with the level of performance on the Quarterly Exam and Performance Tasks. Biology is not taught effectively in the Science Spiral Curriculum in K-12 education. The subject's complexities increase with each passing year, but its fundamental foundation has yet to be constructed and comprehended, making it easier for students to understand