EFFECTS OF SMALL-GROUP LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF BASIC SCIENCE STUDENTS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA (original) (raw)
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The study examined the Effects of group-based learning model on junior secondary schools students' academic achievement in Basic Science in Ikere Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Nigeria. The study was a pretest, posttest, control group quasi-experimental design. Purposive and stratified random sampling techniques was used to select a total sample of 120 public JSS I Basic science students (this sample was divided into the experimental and control groups in ratio 1:1 meaning that, 60 students from each group) from four Junior secondary schools in Ikere Local Government Area, Ekiti State. Two schools each for experimental and control groups. Two null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The instrument for this study was Basic Science Achievement Test (BSAT) and the treatment package used for the study was tagged: Group-Based Learning Model (GBLM). The data collected were analysed using t-test statistical analysis packages. The results of the analyses showed that no significant difference existed between the achievements of students in experimental and control groups involved in the study at pretest (this indicated initial academic homogeneity of the groups). However, students' achievement in the experimental group at post-test level was found to be significantly better than that of the control group. This showed that Group-Based Learning Model (GBLM) teaching strategy significantly influenced students' achievement in Basic Science in Junior Secondary School. The implications of the results on students' achievement in Basic science are discussed. Based on the findings of the study, conclusion and appropriate recommendations were made.
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Effects of Instructional Strategies and Gender on Basic-Science Students' Achievement in Nigeria
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The study examined the effect of instructional strategies (inquiry, demonstration and lecture), ability levels and gender on students’ achievement in the learning of Basic science in Nigeria secondary schools. 270 junior secondary school students (128 males and 142 females) of 6 selected schools in Delta central senatorial district of Delta State were sampled for the study. High and Low Ability students were gotten using the pretest of the achievement test. The instruments for data collection are the teaching guides and the Basic Science Students Achievement Test (ISSAT). For all the overall achievement of high and low ability students in all the instructional groups, there were significant differences –the high ability group did better than the low. No significant difference was found in the overall achievement of male and female students taught Basic science in all the groups. It was recommended that science teachers should develop a spirit of inquiry among all science students paying extra attention to the low ability while not discouraging the high ability students as well as continuing to ensure gender bias is de-emphasized in the science classrooms. Key words: Instructional Strategies, Gender, Ability Levels, Basic Science, Achievement
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