Analysis of the Impact of Graphs in School Certificate Biology Examination in Mpika District, Zambia

The study was aimed at determining the factors that make pupils fail to answer graph questions, estimate and interpret graphs in biology correctly. The study was conducted in four schools in Mpika District of Zambia. Three research questions were raised and answered by means of questionnaires that were administered to 142 pupils and 13 biology teachers. To determine the factors, the five points Likert rating scale was used. Data were analyzed using simple frequency counts, percentages and also the constant comparative method that involved a continual process of comparing pieces of data and identifying similarities and differences between them for generating patterns or categories from data. The results of the study showed that lack of content knowledge by biology teachers on graphs, educational materials such as graph papers and mathematical instruments were the key factors. Some strategies were adopted to enhance the teaching and learning of graphs in biology.