Effects of Chemistry-Based Puzzles on Senior Secondary School Chemistry Students’ Achievement, Retention And Interest in Chemical Periodicity
ABSTRACT
This study investigated the effects of chemistry-based puzzles on senior secondary school chemistry students’ achievement, retention and interest in chemical periodicity.
The quasi-experimental design with a pre -test and post- test was adopted in the study. A total of 129 students were used in four intact classes from four purposively sampled schools.
Two schools were randomly assigned in the experimental group and two in the control group. Students in the experimental groups were instructed with chemistry-based puzzles while students in the control groups were instructed with the demonstration method. A detailed collection of chemistry-based puzzles were developed into lesson plans for use in the experimental group.
This was done with the theory of social constructivism in mind and trained research assistants were used to deliver the course.
An achievement test called Chemical Periodicity Concepts Achievement Test (CPCAT) and an interest inventory called Chemical Periodicity Concepts Interest Inventories (CPCII),
constructed by the researcher and validated by experts from three universities in Nigeria, were used in the study. Reliability coefficients of the two instruments were found to be 0.96 and 0.79 respectively.
Treatment in the two groups lasted for three weeks and a retention test was taken after an interval of four weeks. Nine research questions and nine hypotheses were raised and tested at 0.05 confidence level (significance level).
The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while hypotheses were tested with Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).
Findings showed that students in the experimental group who were taught with Puzzle-Based Strategy (PBS) achieved slightly higher scores than those in the control group who were taught with the demonstration method.
However further analysis with ANCOVA showed that there was no significant difference in achievement in the two groups.
Interest of students due to instructional strategy in the experimental group was significant. There were no significant difference in gender by achievement, retention and interest.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE i
APPROVAL PAGE ii
CERTIFICATION PAGE iii
DEDICATION iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v
TABLE OF CONTENTS vi
LIST OF TABLES ix
LIST OF FIGURES x
LIST OF APPENDICES xi
ABSTRACT xii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study 1
Statement of the Problem 10
Purpose of the Study 11
Significance of the Study 12
Scope of the Study 13
Research Questions 13
Hypotheses 15
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Conceptual Framework 18
Science-Based Puzzles 19
Edutainment 25
Achievement 26
Retention 29
Interest 34
Gender and Achievement 39
Methods of Teaching Chemistry 45
Theoretical Framework 66
Lev Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory 67
Theory of Interest in Learning 70
Theory of Retention of Knowledge 72
Review of Related Empirical Studies
Studies on Science-Based Puzzles 74
Studies on Achievement, Retention & Interest in Chemistry 74
Studies on Gender and Achievement 78
Studies on Methods of Teaching 79
Summary of Literature Reviewed 80
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD
Design of the Study 83
Area of the Study 84
Population of the Study 84
Sample and Sampling Techniques 85
Instrument for Data Collection 86
Validation of the Instruments 88
Reliability of the Instrument 89
Experimental Procedure 89
Method of Data Analysis 91
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS
Presentation of Findings 92
Summary of Findings 106
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND SUMMARY
Discussion of Findings 108
Conclusions Reached from the Findings of the Study 118
Educational Implications of the Findings 119
Recommendations 120
Limitations of the Study 121
Suggestions for Further Research 122
Summary of the Study 122
REFERENCES 125
APPENDICES 142
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Science educators have always sought ways to make the teaching and learning of science very easy.This is because of the awareness of the importance of science in raising the quality of life of mankind.
There is no gainsaying that science continues to contribute to man’s physical life especially in the areas of shelter, leisure, comfort and communication.
Science is also used in solving problems resulting from human interactions with the environment such as water and air pollution.
Chemistry is one of the three main branches of pure science, the other two being biology and physics. Chemistry deals with the composition, properties and uses of matter (Ababio, 2011).
However, chemistry proves a difficult subject for many students (Sirhan, 2007). Chemistry is a human endeavor that relies on basic human qualities like creativity, insights, reasoning, and skills (Banya, 2005).
Ezeliora (2009) rated chemistry as the most important of all the sciences due to its central position to man’s survival. Chemistry is commonly viewed as the “central science”, as mastery of its concepts regarding the structure of matter is essential to further course work in all sciences.
In essence, chemistry performs the function of gatekeeper for future study in many sciences (Tai, Sadler & Loehr, 2005).
Despite the relevance of chemistry to society, it is observed that the achievements of students in the subject as measured by their scores in the senior secondary school certificate examinations have been very poor (Bassey, Asim & Essien, 2005).
REFERENCES
Ababio, O. Y. (2011). New school chemistry for senior secondary schools. Akpannisi, L.E.S. & Igwe, H. (Eds), 6th Edition. Onitsha: Africana First Publishers Plc.
Achimugu, L. (2012). Strategies for effective conduct of practical chemistry works in senior secondary schools in Nigeria. Journal of Science Teachers Association of Nigeria.
Adebule, S. O. (2014). Gender differences on locally standardized anxiety rating scale in mathematics for Nigerian secondary schools. Nigerian Journal of Counseling and Applied Psychology, 1(1), 22-29.
Adedoja, G. Abidoye, J. A. & Afolabi, A. (2013). Effects of two puzzle–based instructional strategies on primary school pupils’ learning outcomes in social studies in Ondo State, Nigeria. African Educational Research Journal, 1(2) 583-592.
Adesoji, F. A. & Olatunbosum, S. (2008). Students, teachers and school environmental factors as determinant of achievement in secondary school chemistry in Oyo State. Nigeria Journal of International Sociological Research June, 2014.
Adesoji, F. A. (2008). Managing students’ attitude towards science through problem-solving instructional strategy. Anthropologist; 10(1), 21-24.
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