Senior Secondary School Students’ Attitude Toward Chemistry in Katsina Metropolis, Nigeria: Effect of Concept Mapping Instructional Technique (Published)
The study looked at Students’ Attitudes toward Chemistry in Katsina Metropolis, Nigeria and their reaction to Concept Mapping Instructional Approach. Idea mapping was used to compare the mean attitude scores of male and female students who were taught the periodic table concept in Chemistry. The average attitude ratings of students who were taught the concept using concept mapping and those who were taught the identical concept using the lecture method following the treatment were compared in the study. From eleven Katsina public senior secondary schools, 11,094 Senior Secondary School II (SSII) Chemistry students comprised of the population. Two schools and 128 SS2 Chemistry students formed the study sample. Two research questions with corresponding hypotheses were raised and developed respectively to guide the investigation. Two classes were chosen at random and given the roles of experimental and control groups in the study. The preliminary and final tests controls were non-equivalent. The researcher employed the Concept Mapping Attitude Scale towards Chemistry (CMASTC) as the instrument for gathering data. The questions were answered using average and variation, and the assumptions were tested using t-test statistics. Results showed among other things, that there was no statistically significant difference in the mean attitude scores of boys and girls who were taught the periodic table concept using concept mapping compared to others exposed to same concept employing lectures. The study suggested, concept mapping has been shown to encourage a promising future for learners; teachers might employ it in classroom.
Keywords: Chemistry, Concept Mapping, Instruction, attitude, technique
Influence of Internal Supervision of Instruction on Improving Teacher Performance in Secondary Schools in Edo State (Published)
This study investigated the influence of internal supervision of instruction on improving Teacher performance in secondary schools in Edo State. Four research questions and four hypotheses were postulated to guide the study. Descriptive survey design was used. From the population of 1110 teachers, of Edo State, 444 teachers were sampled using proportionate stratified random sampling technique. The sampled teachers represent 40% of the entire population. A thirty-two (32) item questionnaire was sent to experts for validation and they offered useful suggestions after their review. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Mean and Standard Deviation were used to answer all the research questions posed in the study. Four null hypotheses formulated were tested using t-test and ANOVA at 0.05 level of significance. The study found that internal supervision of instruction had positive influence on improving teacher performance in Edo State. The study found that classroom visitation, observation technique, demonstration technique and evaluation technique had a positive influence on teacher performance in secondary schools in Edo State. The study also found that there was no significant difference on the influence of internal supervision in improving teacher performance in secondary school based on gender, location, educational qualifications and teaching experience. Based on the findings, it was recommended that: supervisors and Principals should endeavour to ensure that classes are regularly visited to enable secondary school teachers to improve more in their performances.
Keywords: Edo state, Instruction, Secondary Schools, Teacher Performance, internal supervision
Using Simulation Game – Assisted Instruction to Modify Students’ Attitude towards Integrated Science (Published)
The study determined the effect of simulation game – assisted instruction, cognitive style, numerical ability and gender on students’ attitude towards the subject. It adopted a 2 x 2 x 3 x 2 non-randomized pretest, post test, control group quasi-experimental design in which the treatment, at two levels (simulation game – assisted instruction, teacher instruction only) was crossed with cognitive style at two levels (analytical, non-analytical), numerical ability at three levels (high, medium, low) and gender at two levels (male, female ).The subjects were 305 junior secondary lll students selected from four co-educational school in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria.Four valid and reliable instruments were used for data collection: Attitude Towards Science scale (ATSS); Numerical Ability Test (NAT), Cognitive Style Test (CST); AND Operational Guide for instruction (OGI). The study, which lasted for six weeks, involved exposing the students in the experimental group to three types of simulation games (water pollution game, chemical symbol, equation and formulae), while those in the control were not exposed to any game, but were rather taught in the conventional way. Data analysis involved the use of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and Scheffe range test as post hoc measures. The result showed a significant main effect of treatment on students attitude towards integrated science (F(1,304) =24. 173; p<0.05). Students exposed to simulation game –assisted instruction exhibited more positive attitude towards the subject than those not so exposed. The implication of these findings for curriculum planning, teacher training and in-service programmes, development of curriculum material and classroom practice were discussed
Keywords: Instruction, Integrated Science, Modify Students, Simulation Game
Principals’ Instructional Supervision and Teachers’ Effectiveness (Published)
The study examined the differences in teachers’ effectiveness based on principals’ instructional supervision in public secondary schools in Uyo Local Education Committee in Akwa Ibom State. Four objectives and their corresponding research questions and hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The ex-post facto design was used in carrying out this study. Two hundred and one teachers and 14 principals were drawn from the population of 1,105 teachers and 14 principals respectively to participate in the study. Two researchers-developed instruments, “Principals’ Instructional Supervision Interview (PIS1)” and “Teachers’ Teaching Effectiveness Questionnaire (TTEQ)” were used to gather data. Data collected were analyzed using the mean and independent t-test statistics was used. The findings were that there is a significant difference in teachers’ effectiveness based on classroom observation, analysis/strategy, post-conference analysis and post-analysis conference. Teachers in schools where instructional supervision was adequate were more effective than those that had inadequate instructional supervision. It is, therefore, recommended among others that, the principals should carry out an adequate instructional supervision of teachers so as to enhance their teaching effectiveness.
Keywords: Effectiveness, Instruction, Principals, Supervision, Teachers