Comparative Effects of Positive and Negative Academic Emotions on Students’ Academic Performance in Secondary School Physics in Odeda Local Government Area, Ogun State, Nigeria (Published)
Students’ academic emotions are feelings or perceptions associated with students’ experience during teaching-learning sessions, which could be positive or negative. This study examines the level of students’ positive and negative academic emotions, relationship between positive and negative emotions with regards to academic performance, and predictive strength of positive and negative emotions on students’ academic performance in secondary school Physics. The study adopted a descriptive-quantitative design with 300 physics students as study samples, using simple random sampling. Data were collected using Physics academic performance sheets and students’ academic emotion scale with reliability coefficient, α = 0.81, analyzed using descriptive, correlation, and regression statistics. The results revealed that: (i) students exhibited moderate positive academic emotions (enjoyment, interest, confidence) and low negative academic emotions (anxiety, boredom, frustration); (ii) positive emotions significantly and positively correlated to students’ performance (r = 0.54, p<0.05), while negative emotions significantly and negatively correlated to students’ performance (r = −0.49, p<0.05); (iii) positive and negative academic emotions jointly and significantly predicted students’ performance, F(2, 297) = 66.25, p<0.05, R² = 0.398, with positive emotions having a stronger positive predictive power (β = 0.51, t = 8.95, p<0.05) on students’ performance than negative emotions (β = −0.33, t = −6.20, p<0.05). This study concludes that positive academic emotions were stronger in predicting academic performance than the negative academic emotions. It is therefore recommended that teachers should undergo training workshops on strategies for creating emotionally supportive classrooms and its effective application.
Keywords: : Academic Performance, Secondary School, academic emotions, negative emotions, physics, positive emotions
Effect of Blended Learning on Students’ Academic Performance in Physics in Federal Colleges of Education in South East, Nigeria (Published)
This study investigated the effect of blended learning on the academic performance of Physics students in Federal Colleges of Education in South East, Nigeria. Two research objectives, two research questions as well as two research hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study comprised all the 287 Physics students in the three Federal Colleges of Education in South East, Nigeria. A sample of 81 students were purposively selected for the study from two of the three colleges. The instrument for data collection was a -50 multiple choice researcher-made test entitled Researcher Made Electromagnetic Theory Achievement Test (RMETAT). Test retest method was used to ensure the reliability of the instrument. Reliability coefficients of temporal stability of 0.97 and that of internal consistency of 0.72 were determined for the instrument. Mean, standard deviation and ANCOVA were the statistical tools used for data analysis. The study found out that blended learning increased the performance of Physics students who participated in the study. It was also found out that the performances of students were not dependent on their gender. The researcher, therefore among other things recommended that blended learning should be made a compulsory teaching strategy for Colleges of Education and similar institutions and that compulsory periodic training and retraining of teachers in institutions of higher learning on 21st century teaching strategies such as blended learning be put in place.
Keywords: : Academic Performance, blended learning, physics
Application of Cognitive Diagnostic Model in Assessment of Basic Electricity Practical Skills Proficiency among Physics Education Undergraduates in Enugu State University of Science and Technology (Published)
Generalized deterministic input noisy and gate (GDINA) model is a sub-set of cognitive diagnostic model which is used for item calibration and diagnosis. The use of GDINA for measurement of skills or concepts mastery has been synonymous with multiple-choice items. This study applied the GDINA model for mastery measurement of basic hierarchical Physics practical skills. The data collected and the final skills’ matrix were analyzed using GDINA package version 1.4.2 in open source R software version 3.4.3 via R-Studio version 1.0.153. The results showed that: (i) the undergraduates exhibited a fairly good mastery of the items in the test. (ii) the skill of manipulating the voltage source needed improvement.(iii) the items in the test fit the GDINA model. It was recommended that Physics Education lecturers should spend more of their instructional time to practical in lieu of theory to further boost the undergraduates’ skill/item mastery level in Physics.
Keywords: GDINA model, calibration and diagnosis, hierarchy, physics, practical skills
Students’ Mathematics And English Language Mock Examination As Predictors To School Certificate Performance In Physics. (Published)
This study was an ex-post-facto survey, which investigated students’ mathematics and English language (mock) achievement as predictors to school certificate performance in Physics, using two hundred and fifty (250) students randomly selected from public secondary schools in Rivers State. The data was analyzed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and t-test inferential statistics. In order to predict the performance of students on physics based on their performances in Mock examinations on mathematics and English language, the multiple regression analysis (R2) was used. Results showed that there was a significant relationship between the performance of students in English language Mock examination and their performance in physics. There was also a significant relationship between students’ performance in mathematics mock examination and their performance in physics (SSCE). Although there exist positive dependence of performance of physics (SSCE) on their collective performances in. mock examinations on mathematics and English language, the predictor variable Y1=38. 79 EM+0.17Mm where the partial multiple regression coefficients are 38.79 and 0.17 respectively. Based on these findings, it was recommended that learners of physics should be involved in acquisition of knowledge in mathematics and English language, if their performance in physics should improve.
Keywords: English Language, Mock Examination, Performance, School Certificate, Students’ Mathematics, physics