This study was conducted in secondary schools in Uyo Educational zone. The aim was to investigate the effects of field trip on secondary school students’ motivation and achievement in civic education in Uyo educational zone, Nigeria. It was a quasi-experimental design involving 80 JSS3 students. Using cluster sampling method, two junior secondary schools were drawn from 125 junior secondary schools in the educational zone. In both schools, the children were taken on field trips to have firsthand experience on the various topics and concept of Civic Education. The instruments for data collection consisted of researcher-made “Rule of Law, Human Right, Citizenship, Civic Responsibility and Democracy Achievement Test” (RHCCDAT). It also consists of the “Students Motivation Inventory” (SMI). The instruments were vetted by experienced Civic Education teachers in secondary schools as well as the experts in the field of Measurement and Evaluation. The reliabilities of the instruments as determined using 20 JSS3 students with a test-retest sub-sectional reliability coefficient of 0.75, 0.82, 0.66, 0.75 and 0.81. Then the students were given a follow-up test after a period of two weeks. Data collected using the instruments were subjected to analysis using independent t-test as well as paired sample t-test. Result indicated that there was no significant effect of field trip on students’ motivation (p=0.091>0.05). Field trip also had significant effect on students’ achievement in Civic Education (p-0.021<0.05). Finally, there was a significant retention effect of field trip as there was no significant difference between the posttest and follow up test scores. Based on this, it was recommended among others that educational implementers like teachers, governments as well as the school should re-evaluate field trip objectives and design to focus on motivation.
Keywords: Academic Achievement, Civic Education, Field Trip, Motivation
