EFFECT OF SCIENCE PROCESS TEACHING APPROACH ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN CHEMISTRY IN KANO STATEABSTRACT

This study was carried out to determine the effects of science process teaching approach on secondary school students’ academic achievement. The study sample consisted of two intact classes from different secondary schools, one experimental with 88 students and the other one as control had 164 students. A random sampling technique using balloting method was used in selecting the two schools out of 35 public secondary schools in Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State, with a total population of 57,402 pupils in the metropolis. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used. The instrument used was Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) which was validated and with reliability coefficient of r = 0.75. The hypotheses stated were tested using t-test statistics at P=0.05 level of significance. Major findings of the study revealed that there is significant difference in the academic achievement among secondary school students exposed to science process teaching approach and those exposed to conventional teaching method in favour of experimental group. There is also significant difference in the academic achievement of male students exposed to science process teaching approach and female students exposed to the same treatment in favour of the male pupils. In light of the findings from this study, the following recommendations were offered. Government concerned with the responsibilities of managing the affairs of secondary schools should design special training programs for chemistry teachers so as to keep them abreast with the current development in methodology of teaching and new innovations that are being invented by educational researchers among others.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE. 1

INTRODUCTION.. 1

1.1         Background to the Study. 1

1.2         Statement of the Problem.. 5

1.3         Purpose of the Study. 6

1.4         Research Questions. 6

1.5         Null Hypotheses. 6

1.6         Significance of the Study. 7

1.7         Scope of the Study. 7

1.8         Limitations of the Study. 8

1.9         Definition of Key Terms. 8

CHAPTER TWO.. 9

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE. 9

2.1         Introduction. 9

2.2         National Policy on Education and Chemistry Teaching. 9

2.3         Psychological Theories and Chemistry Teaching. 11

2.4         Problems Associated with Chemistry Teaching and Learning. 14

2.5         Science Teaching Methods. 16

2.5.1          Lecture Method (Chalk and Talk). 17

2.5.2          Inquiry Method (Discovery Method). 17

2.5.3          Project Method. 18

2.5.4          Discussion Method. 18

2.5.5          Demonstration Method. 19

2.5.6          Field Trip (Excursion Method). 20

2.6         Science Process Skills Approach. 20

2.7         The Process Skills in Sciencing.21

2.7.1          Process: Observing. 23

2.7.2          Process: Measuring. 23

2.7.3          Process: Classifying. 24

2.7.4          Process: Inferring. 25

2.7.5          Process: Predicting. 25

2.7.6          Process: Communicating. 26

2.7.7          Process: Interpreting Data. 27

2.7.8          Process: Making Operational Definitions. 27

2.5.10       Process: Experimenting. 28

2.7.11       Process: Formation of Mental Models. 29

Table 2.2. Basic and Integrated Science Process Skills. 29

2.8         Academic Achievement in Science Education. 31

2.9         Gender Related Studies in Secondary School Science. 32

2.10      Overview of Similar Studies. 35

2.11      Summary. 37

CHAPTER THREE. 38

RESEARCH METHODOLGY. 38

3.1         Introduction. 38

3.2         Research Design. 38

3.3. Population of the Study. 39

Table 3.1 Population of the Study. 39

3.4. Sample and Sampling Technique. 41

3.5         Pilot -Testing. 41

3.6.       Instrumentation. 41

3.6.1          Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT). 41

3.6.2          Validity of the CAT. 42

3.6.3          Reliability of the Instrument. 42

3.7. Data Collection Procedures. 42

3.7.1. Treatment Administration. 42

3.8. Method of Data Analysis. 43

CHAPTER FOUR. 44

DATA PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS. 44

4.1         Introduction. 44

4.2       Presentation & Interpretation of Data. 44

Table 4.1: Students’ Mean Scores Difference in Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) for Experimental and Control Group   44

Table 4.2.     Males’ Mean scores Difference in Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) for Experimental and Control Group   45

Table 4.3      Females’ Mean Scores Difference in Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) for Experimental and Control Group   45

Table 4.4. Males and Females’ Mean Scores Difference in Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT)       for Experimental Group………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..46

Table 4.5. t-test Analysis of Students’ Mean Scores in Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) for Experimental and Control Group.46

Table 4.6.     t-test Analysis of Males’ Mean Scores of Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) for Experimental and Control Group.47

Table 4.7:          t-test Analysis of Females’ Mean Scores of Chemistry   Achievement Test (CAT)for Experimental and Control Group.48

Table 4.8:     t-test Analysis of Males’ and Females’ Mean Scores of Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) for Experimental Group   48

4.3         Data Analysis and Discussion of findings. 49

CHAPTER FIVE. 51

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 51

5.1         Introduction. 51

5.2         Summary of Chapters. 51

5.3         Conclusions. 52

5.4         Recommendations. 53

5.5         Suggestions for Further Studies. 53

References. 54

APPENDIX I. 63

APPENDIX  II68