ABSTRACT
The study examined the effects of
the guided inquiry teaching strategy on the academic performance of science
students in selected secondary schools in Plateau State. The study used a
quasi-experimental research scheme. A sample of 120 high school science
students (SS2) was selected by random sampling from 2 urban schools and 2 rural
schools, including boys and girls, with 30 students each in the experimental
and control groups. . The research instruments included subjects of the CAT
Achievement Test. The CAT contained 30 multiple-choice questions with four
options (A-D) and 5 essay questions. The students were divided into two groups.
Experimental and control groups submitted respectively to the research teaching
strategy and traditional teaching strategys. The t test statistics were used to
analyze the data. The main findings revealed that science students taught using
the inquiry teaching strategy and performed much better than their taught
counterparts using the traditional teaching strategy. As a result, the study
concluded that the educational survey teaching strategy produced significantly
higher academic achievement for students in science subjects. Therefore, the
study recommends, among other things, that the use of the teaching strategy of
teaching through research be encouraged in all secondary schools offering
science subjects to their students in the states of Plateau and Nigeria. In
addition, the government must sponsor teachers to attend various workshops and
seminars on appropriate topics. Effective use of the teaching strategy of
research.
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study
Science subjects is the
scientific study of interaction of chemical substances that constitute atoms or
the subatomic particles; protons, electrons and neutrons. It is an integral
part of the science curriculum both at the senior secondary school as well as
higher institutions. At this level, it is often called “general science
subjects” which is an introduction to a wide variety of fundamental concepts
that enables students to acquire tools and basic skills useful at the advanced
level. One of the objectives of science education is to develop students’
interest towards science and technology. The development of any nation today
depends greatly on its technological and scientific advancement. Teachers are
expected to device ways of motivating their students to develop positive attitudes
towards science and science related disciplines (Sola and Ojo, 2007). Science
subjects, in particular is central to many of the scientific fields of human
endeavors; therefore, teaching of science subjects should be given serious
attention.
Science teachers have
always recognized the importance of practical work as a means of introducing
learners to the scientific process of experimentation. To this end, the United
Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the
International Union of pure and Applied Science subjects (IUPAC) have
participated in numerous international meetings to promote inexpensive
experimental based teaching in science subjects. Inquiry teaching strategy is a
style or teaching strategy of teaching where the learner is seeking to discover
and create answers to recognized problems through procedure of making a
diligent search, some time with minimum guidance from the teacher (Callahan, et al 1995). Science process skills are
based on scientific inquiry and teaching science by inquiry involves teaching
students science process skills, critical thinking, scientific reasoning skills
used by scientists (Pratt and Hackett, 1998) and inquiry is defined as an
approach to teaching, the acts scientists use in doing science and it can be a
highly effective teaching strategy that helps students to understand concepts
and use of process skills (Yagger and Akcay, 2010). Inquiry teaching strategy
is also a term used in science teaching that refers to a way of questioning, seeking
knowledge, information or finding out about phenomena, it involves
investigating data and arriving at a conclusion (Sola and Ojo, 2007). In
inquiry situation students learn not only concept but also self direction,
responsibility and social communication. It also permits students to assimilate
and accommodate information. It is the way people learn when they are left
alone.
Cheval and Hart (2005),
classify inquiry teaching strategy into three (3) classes, namely: structured
inquiry, guided inquiry and open inquiry. All these types of inquiry can be
useful to students to learn science when taught appropriately. Structured
inquiry is the most teacher-centered of the three types of inquiry. This type
of inquiry is commonly seen in science classrooms in the form of laboratory
exercises. The teacher provides fairly structured procedures for the inquiry
activity, and students carry out the investigations. Structured inquiry could
be described as the most traditional approach to inquiry (Cheval and Hart, 2005).
The open inquiry on the other side is a type of inquiry which requires the
least amount of teacher intervention and is student centered. Students, in this
case, often work in groups and plan all phases of their investigations, while
guided inquiry falls in the middle of the inquiry instructional spectrum. This
type of inquiry is commonly used when students are asked to make tools or
develop a process that results in a desired outcome. For example, a science
teacher gives his seventh grade middle school students materials to create a
rocket but no instructions for designing the rocket. The students must use
their own knowledge and creativity to design the rocket so that it will launch
properly, fly a certain distance, and land without becoming disassembled. The
teacher provides the problem and materials and the students develop the rocket
using their own scientific process or procedure (Cheval and Hart, 2005). In
this study, guided inquiry will be used. Students will be given a set of topic
and materials to develop teaching strategy to find answers to the given
problem. The lecture teaching strategy is used primarily to introduce students
to a new subject, but is also a valuable teaching strategy for summarizing
ideas, showing relationships between theory and practice, and reemphasizing
main points. Science subjects activities deals with telling and showing,
therefore, a lecture-demonstration teaching strategy is a teaching technique
that combines oral explanation with “doing” to communicate processes, concepts
and facts. It is particularly effective in teaching a skill that can be
observed.
Demonstration is
usually accompanied by a thorough explanation, which is essentially a lecture.
Lecture teaching strategy according to Garba(1996), is a traditional teaching
strategy of transmission of knowledge; it is essentially a one-way process. The
current Nigerian classroom whether primary, secondary or tertiary institutions
level, tends to resemble a one-person show with a captain but often comatose
audience. Classes are usually driven by “teacher-talk” and depend heavily on
textbooks for the structure of the courses. Teachers serve as pipelines and
seek to transfer their thoughts and meanings to passive students. There is
little room for student-initiated questions, independent thought or interaction
between students. Therefore, the study is aimed at determining the effect of
guided inquiry teaching strategy and the traditional teaching strategy on
students’ academic achievement in
science subjects at the senior secondary school level. Guided Inquiry teaching
strategy is chosen in this study due to its scientific nature and it is
student-centered and it involves all scientific process.
1.2
Statement of the Problem
Students’ persistent
poor performance in science subjects has been partly ascribed to inadequate
teaching and instructional teaching strategy adopted by teachers. In supporting
this view, Derek (2007), reported the seriousness of the deplorable performance
of secondary school students in science subjects and identified the persistent use of the traditional teaching strategy
of instruction as one of the major shortcoming affecting the learning and higher
achievement in science subjects . Many students find science subjects to be a
hindrance in attaining their aims and objectives. Donald, (2000) said students
wishing to read medicine cannot do so unless they credit science subjects. It
is therefore necessary to properly groom the students right from the secondary
level to enable them improve their academic achievement in science subjects.
Poor performance of students in science subjects, particularly science
subjects, has assumed a serious dimension as reported by West African
Examination Council (1991). In the light of this, science teachers need to seek
suitable ways of tackling the current massive failure in science subjects if
they are to halt the drifts of science students to art and social science subjects.
1.3
Objectives
of the Study
The objectives of this
study are to:
1.
determine the effects of guided inquiry teaching
strategy and traditional teaching strategy on the performance of science
subjects students in senior secondary schools in Plateau state;
2.
determine the effects of guided inquiry teaching
strategy on the performance of students in science subjects in Plateau state;
3.
determine the effects of guided inquiry teaching
strategy on the performance of male and female students in science subjects in Plateau
state; and
4.
determine the difference in the
performance between urban and rural students in science subjects taught with guided inquiry teaching strategy
in Plateau state.
1.4 Research
Questions
1.
What is the effect of guided inquiry teaching
strategy and traditional teaching strategy on the Performance of students in
science subjects in senior secondary schools in Plateau state?
2.
What is the effect of guided inquiry teaching
strategy on the academic Performance of students in science
subjects in Plateau state?
3.
What is the effect of guided inquiry teaching
strategy on the performance of male and
female students in
senior secondary school in science subjects Plateau state?
4.
What is the difference in the
performance of students in science subjects in senior
secondary schools
taught with guided inquiry teaching strategy in Plateau state?
1.5
Null Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were
tested:
Ho1: Guided
inquiry teaching strategy and traditional teaching strategy have no significant
effect on the
performance of science
subjects students in senior secondary schools in Plateau state;
Ho2: There is
no significant effect of guided inquiry teaching strategy on the academic
performance of science
subjects students in Plateau state;
Ho3:
Guided inquiry teaching strategy has no
significant effect on the performances of male and
female students in science
subjects in Plateau state;
Ho4: There
is no significant difference in the performance between urban and rural
students taught science
subjects with guided inquiry teaching strategy in Plateau state.
1.6 Basic
Assumptions
This study has the
following assumptions
1.
It is assumed that most science subjects
teachers in the secondary schools do not make use of appropriate science
subjects teaching strategy in secondary schools in Plateau state.
2.
It is also assumed that teachers are
employed to teach Science subjects without
considering
their area of specialization, educational qualifications and training.
3.
It is assumed that teachers do not use
appropriate Science subjects teaching strategy.
4.
Learning by doing could enhance and
motivate students to improve on their
performance in science subjects.
1.7
Significance of the Study
The
findings of this study will help in the following ways:
The science subjects
teachers will utilize the findings of this study in their science subjects
classrooms; helping students’ understanding of science subjects concepts
through guided inquiry teaching strategy. Students at the senior secondary
school (SSS) level in Plateau state and other states can be encouraged and
motivated by this research. Active involvement of students helps to develop
self-confidence and positive attitude to science subjects through this
research. The study will provide information for educational planners and
curriculum designers in the Federal Ministry of Education. They will support
the use of inquiry teaching strategy in senior secondary schools by carrying
out effective quality assurance for teachers in order to improve
teaching/learning situations currently existing in senior secondary schools in Plateau
state.
It is
hoped that the
students will find
Science subjects very interesting
as it will
equip them for job opportunities
in industries in
both private and public sectors such as manufacturing and processing
industries, industries related to petroleum, chemical, ceramic, polymer, food,
electronics, the environmental,
mining, pharmaceuticals and
health- related industries, agriculture industries, government agencies, including forensic science and patents, defence,
education and research, and areas related
to biotechnology.
1.8
Scope of the Study
This study on Effects
of guided inquiry teaching strategy on academic achievement of science subjects students is delimited to
senior secondary schools in Jos north and Jos south local government areas of Plateau
state, Nigeria. The study involves senior secondary two (SS2) science subjects
students with a total population of five thousand, nine hundred and thirteen
(5,913).It is delimited to a consideration of the effects of inquiry teaching
strategy on students’ performance in science subjects in Plateau state.
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