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