Effect of Guided Discovery Method on Secondary School Students’ Academic Performance in Biology in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria (Published)
This study investigated the effect of Guided Discovery method on Senior Secondary School students’ academic performance in Biology in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. Two research questions were raised and two null hypotheses were formulated. The study employed a quasi-experimental design. The population comprised of 8,670 Students in all the public Secondary Schools in Makurdi Metropolis. Two schools were randomly selected using simple random sampling technique from among the public Secondary Schools in Makurdi and a sample size of 47 Senior Secondary two (SS2) students were used for the study. The instrument used for data collection was Biology Academic Performance Test (BAPT). Biology Academic Performance Test (BAPT) was validated by 3 experts in science education. The BAPT was pilot tested on intact class and a reliability coefficient of 0.79 was obtained using Kuder Richardson Formula-21 (K-R21). The research questions were answered using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation. The null hypotheses formulated were tested at 0.05 level of significance using inferential statistics of independent t-test. The findings showed that, there was a significant difference between the mean academic performance scores of students taught Biology using Guided Discovery method and those taught using Lecture method in favour of those students taught using Guided Discovery method. There was no significant difference between the mean academic performance scores of male and female students taught Biology using Guided Discovery method. It was recommended among others that; Biology teachers should use Guided Discovery method for teaching Biology at the secondary school level.
Keywords: : Academic Performance, Biology, Gender, Science, guided discovery method
Effect of Guided Discovery Method on Secondary School Students’ Academic Performance in Biology in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria (Published)
Citation: Msuur Tofi; Emmanuel E. Achor and Victoria I. Eje (2022) Effect of Guided Discovery Method on Secondary School Students’ Academic Performance in Biology in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria, European Journal of Training and Development Studies, Vol.9 No.1, pp.32-40
Abstract: This study investigated the effect of Guided Discovery method on Senior Secondary School students’ academic performance in Biology in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. Two research questions were raised and two null hypotheses were formulated. The study employed a quasi-experimental design. The population comprised of 8,670 Students in all the public Secondary Schools in Makurdi Metropolis. Two schools were randomly selected using simple random sampling technique from among the public Secondary Schools in Makurdi and a sample size of 47 Senior Secondary two (SS2) students were used for the study. The instrument used for data collection was Biology Academic Performance Test (BAPT). Biology Academic Performance Test (BAPT) was validated by 3 experts in science education. The BAPT was pilot tested on intact class and a reliability coefficient of 0.79 was obtained using Kuder Richardson Formula-21 (K-R21). The research questions were answered using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation. The null hypotheses formulated were tested at 0.05 level of significance using inferential statistics of independent t-test. The findings showed that, there was a significant difference between the mean academic performance scores of students taught Biology using Guided Discovery method and those taught using Lecture method in favour of those students taught using Guided Discovery method. There was no significant difference between the mean academic performance scores of male and female students taught Biology using Guided Discovery method. It was recommended among others that; Biology teachers should use Guided Discovery method for teaching Biology at the secondary school level.
Keywords: : Academic Performance, Biology, Gender, Science, guided discovery method
Gender Difference in the Use of the Know-Want-Learn (KWL) and Jigsaw Cooperative Learning Strategies on Students’ Performance in Social Studies (Published)
The study investigated gender differences among Junior Secondary Schools students’ taught Social Studies concepts using Know-Want-Learn (KWL) and Jigsaw Cooperative Learning (JCL) strategies in Port Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers State. Two research questions and two corresponding hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted the quasi-experimental pre-test post-test control group design. The study involved three groups. Two experimental groups (Know-Want-Learn (KWL) differentiation learning strategy and Jigsaw Cooperative Learning (JCL) strategy) and a control group taught with traditional learning strategy. The sample consisted of 177 (90 male students and 87 female students) Junior Secondary School II (JSS II) students drawn from three Government Co-educational Secondary Schools. A 25 multiple choice test items, title “Social Studies Achievement Test (SOSAT)” developed by the researchers which covers two topics: Meaning and Consequences of Drug Abuse and Harmful Substances, and Dangers of Drug Trafficking in the Junior Secondary School II Social Studies Curriculum Scheme of Work was the research instrument. The instrument was validated and had reliability coefficient of 0.84 via Kuder-Richardson (KR-21) for a measure of its internal consistency. The relevant data gathered were analyzed with mean, standard deviation, graphical plot associated with Analysis of Co-variance (ANCOVA). The findings of the study showed that the effect of Know-Want-Learn (KWL) and Jigsaw Cooperative Learning (JCL) strategies on the performance of students is not gender dependent. Hence, it was recommended among others that teacher should adopt the teaching strategies in teaching Social Studies in Schools. Also, training workshops should be organized and sustained for Social Studies teachers across the country, exposing them to innovative strategies that encourage active learning and teaching for the 21st century learner and teacher.
Keywords: Gender, Jigsaw Cooperative Learning (JCL), Know-Want-Learn (KWL), Port Harcourt LGA., Social Studies
Cultural Expectation as a hindrance to Gender Equality: Ghanaian Girl-Child in Focus (Published)
Boys and Girls in less developed countries like Ghana face different levels of cultural expectations. Cultural expectation from a Ghanaian Girl-Child appears to be a hindrance to Gender equality – equality of intellectual resource. To ascertain the intensity of the effect of subjecting school girls in Ghana into ‘domestic slavery’ as they do the house chores alone at the expense of their time to study, the study looks at the extent to which cultural expectation relating to house chores stands as an impediment to Ghanaian Girl-chid basic education. The study employed both conflict and cognitive theories in explaining how societies make inequality inevitable and manage to categorise some members in the society into groups of subordinates and superiors. In relation to gender and how girls are supressed through their cultural expectations, the theories serve as the theoretical framework for the study. The study adopted a heuristic case study which afforded me the opportunity to dive into the extent to which girls’ education are affected by their cultural responsibility of doing the household chores, leaving the boys untouched. I used observation and interview guide in collecting the data. One of the main findings is that about 52% of the time available for the girl-child to revise her school notes (what is taught in school) goes into such responsibilities whilst her male counterpart gets almost 98% of his time for revision. Another significant point noted is that leaving the house chores into the hands of girls as the boys have freedom to revise their studies makes gender inequality persistence and durable. Thus, gender inequalities associated with intellectual skills will continue to be persistent and durable.
Keywords: Gender, Girl Child, cultural expectation, intellectual resources equality, revising-time loss.