Enhancing Student Engagement and Achievement in Biology Through Interactive Slide Presentations

In response to the emergence of Education 4.0 and COVID-19 pandemic, the need for the utilization of effective emergency remote teaching technologies enhancing student's engagement and achievement has never been more urgent. This Mixed Methods research investigated the effects of Biology Interactive Slide Presentations on achievement and engagement of Grade 12 STEM students. Biology Interactive Slide Presentations were created using Pear Deck and Nearpod applications. Six Biology lessons about Central Dogma of Molecular Biology and DNA Recombination were taught to 28 students using the educational tool. The students' achievement was determined using one-group pretest-posttest design. The results of the paired-sample t-test revealed that there is a significant difference in the achievement of the students before and after the use of the learning tool. The students' engagement was investigated through focus group discussion with 5 randomly-selected students and outcomes related to students' engagement were identified improving their cognitive, emotional and behavioral engagement.