Impact of Field Trips on Students’ Learning of Ecology in Senior Secondary Schools in Edo State

This study assessed the impact of organised field trips on secondary school students' learning of ecology in Edo State, Nigeria. Ecology, as a sub-discipline of Biology, involves the study of organisms in their natural environments, making field-based learning a particularly appropriate instructional strategy for deepening student understanding. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was used. Six SS2 Biology classes from six secondary schools in Benin City and Oredo Local Government Areas participated, with three classes assigned to the field trip group and three to the conventional instruction group. The experimental group visited a state nature reserve and a local wetland area, with structured observation activities and guided post-field discussions. An Ecology Achievement Test with 35 items was validated and administered, achieving a reliability of 0.80. Analysis of Covariance was used for hypothesis testing. Findings showed that students who participated in field trips achieved significantly higher scores on ecology topics than those who did not. Qualitative feedback also indicated heightened student engagement and motivation during field activities. The study recommended formal inclusion of annual science field trips in the school calendar, teacher training in field-based instruction, and state-level administrative guidelines governing student safety during science outings. Keywords: field trips, ecology learning, Biology education, Edo State, outdoor science.