ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTS OF ACTIVITY-BASED AND PROBLEMSOLVING METHODS ON STUDENTS PERFORMANCE IN BASIC SCIENCE IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA
ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTS OF ACTIVITY-BASED AND PROBLEMSOLVING METHODS ON STUDENTS PERFORMANCE IN BASIC SCIENCE IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA
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Date
2019-11
Authors
DAWAKI, Jummai Habu
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Abstract
The study assessed the effects of Activity-Based and Problem-Solving methods on
students' academic performance in Basic Science in Junior Secondary Schools in Kaduna
State, Nigeria. The study was carried out with Seven objectives: determine the Pre-test
and Post-test performances of students taught Basic Science using Activity-Based and
those taught using Problem-solving method; determine the performance of students
taught Basic Science using Activity-Based and Conventional method; examine the effect
of Problem-Solving and Conventional method on the performance of students in Basic
Science in Junior Secondary schools in Kaduna State, Nigeria amongst others. The study
adopted quasi experimental research design. The target population of the study was made
up of 119, 238 Junior Secondary 2 Students in Kaduna State, of Nigeria. The sample size
for this study consisted of 3 intact classes of 218 Junior Secondary School students.
Purposive sampling techniques was used to choose the sample size. The instrument used
for data collection in the study was adopted test of multiple choice in Basic Science
Junior Secondary Certificate Examination, 2010-2014. The validated instrument was
pilot tested and a reliability coefficient of 0.79 was obtained. The statistical tools used for
data analysis included descriptive statistics mainly mean and standard deviation which
was used to respond to the research questions raised in the study. The t-test was used to
test hypotheses 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used
to test hypotheses 6 and 7. The hypotheses formulated for this study were retained or
rejected at 0.05 level of significance. The study established among others that, Students
taught basic science using activity-based method had a higher mean score and performed
significantly better in the post-test (P-value .002 <0.05), Students taught basic science
using Problem-Solving method had a higher mean score and performed significantly
better in the post-test (P-value .002 <0.05). The post-test mean performance of students
taught Basic Science using Activity-Based method is slightly higher than the post-test
mean performance of students taught Basic Science using Problem-Solving method (pvalue
.004 O.05) Students taught basic science using activity-based method had a higher
mean score and performed significantly better than their counterparts taught using
conventional method (P-value .0030.05). It was concluded that the activity-based
method was more effective to teach Basic Science as the method enabled students to
achieve higher mean score and performed better than their counterparts taught using both
problem-solving and conventional methods. Recommendations were that; Teachers and
school Managers, should provide and encourage the use of both Activity-based and
Problem-solving methods as they both have been proved to be effective empirically in
enhancing students' academic performance; Basic science teachers should be encouraged
to use Activity based method because of its positive effect in enhancing students'
academic performance; and Teachers should be encouraged to make their classrooms
active learning classrooms by ensuring that their students are exposed to meaningful
Problem-solving activities that will make them active learners not passive listeners or
receivers.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PATIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE IN
EDUCATION (CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION) IN THE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS AND CURRICULUM, \
FACULTY OF EDUCATION,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA-NIGERIA
Keywords
ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTS,, ACTIVITY-BASED,, PROBLEMSOLVING METHODS,, STUDENTS PERFORMANCE,, BASIC SCIENCE,, JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS,, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA