A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CONCEPT-MAPPING AND GUIDED DISCOVERY TEACHING STRATEGIES ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' UNDERSTANDING OF SELECTED CHEMISTRY CONCEPTS
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CONCEPT-MAPPING AND GUIDED DISCOVERY TEACHING STRATEGIES ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' UNDERSTANDING OF SELECTED CHEMISTRY CONCEPTS
No Thumbnail Available
Date
1993
Authors
EZENWA, VICTORIA IFEOMA
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Studies have shown that in the study of Chemistry,
students perceived bonding, chemical reaction and particulate
nature of matter to be difficult. This is reflected in poor
performance in tests involving these concepts. It seems that
the Federal Ministry of Education, recommended instructional
strategy, guided discovery is not yielding the desired
result. Considering the importance of Chemistry to man and
his environment, there is the need to inquire into ways of
ensuring that students make meaning of what they learn in
chemistry.
Science educators now advocate for instructional
strategies like concept mapping that enable students
construct meaning of what they learn. In this study the
effectiveness of concept mapping strategy in bringing about
understanding of chemistry concepts is compared with that of
guided discovery. The effects of the study instructional
strategies on some variables (gender, home factors, reasoning
ability, reading comprehension and attitude) were
investigated.The study sample consisted of 246 (SSI) chemistry
students drawn from 3 randomly selected secondary schools in
Niger State of Nigeria. The students were assigned into two
groups - concept-mapping and guided discovery. The conceptmapping
group was taught using concept mapping strategy and the guided discovery group taught using guided discovery
strategy. Both groups were pre- and post tested. Eight
hypotheses were tested. The major instruments for the study
were Chemistry Attitude Questionnaire, Home Factor
Questionnaire, Chemistry Concept Achievement Test, Reasoning
Ability Test and Reading Comprehension Test. The data
obtained were analysed and tested at a significant level of
0.05. Findings of this study are:
i. that the concept mapping group performed significantly
better and retained more of the selected chemistry
concepts than the guided discovery group,
ii. there was no significant difference in the performance
of boys and girls taught using concept mapping and guided
discovery strategies. However there was a significant
interaction effect between gender and instructional
strategy attributable to concept mapping strategy,
iii. there was no significant relationship between any of the
home factors and performance in chemistry.
iv. that concept mapping strategy improved reasoning
ability, reading comprehension and students attitude to
chemistry,v. that reading comprehension and reasoning ability
contributed to students performance when concept mapping
strategy was used.
Based on these findings, recommendations were made for
teacher education and the curriculum.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN SCIENCE EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY
ZARIA.
1993
Keywords
COMPARATIVE,, STUDY,, EFFECTIVENESS,, CONCEPT,, MAPPING,, GUIDED,, DISCOVERY,, TEACHING,, STRATEGIES,, SECONDARY,, SCHOOL,, STUDENTS',, UNDERSTANDING,, SELECTED,, CHEMISTRY,, CONCEPTS,