Influence of Laboratory Facilities and Teachers’ Work Attitude on Performance of Secondary School Students in Physics in Ekiti State (Published)
This study examined the impact of laboratory facilities and teachers’ work attitude on the academic performance of secondary school physics students in Ekiti State. A combination of descriptive survey and ex-post-facto research designs was adopted. The sample included 30 physics teachers and the WASSCE results of 1600 students, selected through multistage sampling from 30 schools. Three instruments were utilised: the Physics Laboratory Facilities and Work Attitude Questionnaire for Teachers (PLFWAQT), Physics Laboratory Facilities and Teachers’ Work Attitude Questionnaire for Students (PLFTWAQS), and A Year Examination Result Template (AYERT). The instruments were validated by science education experts, while test-retest reliability produced coefficients of 0.79 and 0.81 for the questionnaires. Data were analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and regression analysis at a 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that laboratory facilities significantly correlated with students’ academic performance in physics, while teachers’ work attitude showed no significant relationship. However, both laboratory facilities and teachers’ work attitude jointly contributed to students’ academic performance. The study concluded that laboratory facilities and positive teacher attitudes are vital for improved physics performance. It recommended training workshops for teachers on modern laboratory usage, fostering positive work attitudes, and ensuring the provision of adequate laboratory facilities by stakeholders to enhance students’ performance
Keywords: : Academic Performance, laboratory facilities, physics, teacher work attitude
Effect of Blended Learning on Students’ Retention of Physics in Federal Colleges of Education in South East, Nigeria (Published)
The study investigated the effect of blended learning on the retention of Physics by 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 student 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 retention of Physics by students who participated in the study. It was also found out that the retention of the Physics contents by the students were not dependent upon 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: Retention, blended learning, physics