Effects of Map on Attitude and Achievement of Senior Secondary School in Jos South Local Government Area Plateau State Nigeria
Chapter One
Purposeย ofย theย Study
The purpose of the study was toย investigate the effect of map in achievementย andย interestย of secondaryย schoolย students.
Specifically,ย theย studyย investigate
- Effect of map and lecture methods on studentsโ mean achievement scores
- Effect of map and lecture methods on studentsโ mean interest scores
- Influence of gender on mean achievement scores of students
- Influence of gender on mean interest scores of
- Interaction effect of teaching methods and gender on student mean achievement scores
- Interaction effect of teaching methods and gender on studentโs mean interest scores
CHAPTERย TWOย
LITERATUREย REVIEW
CONCEPTUALย FRAMEWORK
Conceptย ofย Teachingย andย Learning
To support the learner’s acquisition of the desired knowledge, skill, and values and to provide the learner with the appropriate feedback, the teacher engages in the systematic activity of teaching (Oforma, 1994). All of the activities teachers participate in or carry out with the intention of bringing about a certain change in the learner are referred to as teaching (Ezekannaya, 2007). The Schreyer Institute (2010) defines teaching as an academic process that inspires students to learn in ways that have a long-lasting, significant, and positive impact on how they think, act, and feel. It is a process that raises students to a level where they learn profoundly and remarkably due to the teachers’ influence.ย Therefore, the contact between the teacher and the student regarding the subject in a particular situation can be referred to as teaching. Teaching occurs someplace, in a particular setting. A teacher never instructs in a vacuum. The environment has an impact. When someone is being taught, the teacher is attempting to impart knowledge. While learning cannot happen without a teacher, teaching cannot happen without pupils. Without a teacher, a lot of learning occurs, but it is considered learning rather than teaching. Before an action is deemed to as teaching, there must be a medium and a subject about which there may be a structured and ongoing discussion.
These experts (Nzeribe and Sawa, 2002; Davis, 2001) contend that teaching is both an art and a science, depending on the context. Effective teaching, they claimed, requires a high level of creativity, and as a science, instruction focuses on ways to Organize student-teacher contact in a systematic manner. Making educated professional decisions about teaching requires both scientific information and a clear sense of how to use it. In fact, the term “teaching” is frequently used to refer to the actual teaching process that occurs in the classroom (Nzeribe, 2002). The two are complementary aspects of one another in education.
Learning is a term that refers to the process of acquisition of knowledge, skills,ย values, habits and attitude. Learning is a relatively permanent and measurable change inย behaviourย throughย experienceย andย instruction.ย Fromย theย psychologicalย pointย ofย view,ย Ngwoke (2004) referred to learning as a process which causes a change in behaviour of anย individualย which resultsย fromย experienceย orย interactionย betweenย theย individualย andย hisย environment. Learning can also be defined as the acquisition of new behaviour. Learningย accordingย toย theย cognitiveย learningย theoristย isย aย processย ofย constantย organisation,ย restructuringย andย reorganisationย ofย perceptionย intoย aย meaningfulย whole,(ย Nnachiย 2007).
Learningย isย both a processย andย theย endย product.ย Asย a processย itย refers toย howย attitudes,ย skills,ย knowledge,ย understanding andย capabilities areย acquiredย andย retained.ย Inย the process of learning, behaviour is initiated for the first time, modifiedย or completelyย changed.ย Trialย andย error,ย imitationย modelingย andย insightfulย learningย areย someย waysย learningย takesย place.ย Asย aย product,ย learningย refersย toย theย permanentย acquisitionย andย habitualย useย ofย newlyย acquiredย knowledgeย andย experience,ย henceย referringย toย anyย relativelyย permanentย changeย inย behaviourย orย knowledgeย resultingย fromย practices,ย Onyemerekeya in (Nzeribe, (2002). The studentsโ change in behaviour otherwise known asย learning,ย takesย placeย whenย aย learner/studentsย isย exposedย toย differentย learningย experiencesย orย instructionalย objectivesย (Nnachi,ย 2007).ย Theseย instructionalย objectivesย orย learningย experiences are presented to the students through instructional methods known as teachingย methods.
Methodsย ofย Teachingย Science
A teaching method is a process and a way of imparting knowledge, skills, and values that are implied in the purposes and goals of teaching (Onyemerekeya, 1998). According to Obodo (1990), a teaching method is an approach, process, or stance that a teacher takes when explaining a subject to a student. The strategies, procedures, or systems employed by the teacher to guide the pupils’ learning are known as teaching methods. In teaching and learning activities, instructional strategies play a significant role. They are crucial tools that the teacher uses to carry out his fundamental teaching duties. These techniques likewise mainly consist of statements of learning goals, activities that are directed toward those goals, and information sharing between teachers and students.ย The best way to describe a teaching approach is as the types of guidelines and techniques employed throughout education (Wikipedia, 2009). Teachers must be adaptable and ready to change their ways to better suit their students while choosing their teaching strategies. Effective teaching strategies are significantly responsible for students’ performance in the classroom. The scientific teacher can use a variety of teaching techniques to help students learn (Saskatchewan, 2010). When faced with this variety, it is crucial that he or she understands the benefits and drawbacks of each technique as well as how to employ it properly in light of these established facts.ย However, itย shouldย be noted that the success or otherwise of any method employed depends on certain factorย amongstย which areย the physical realitiesย of the school,ย theย teacherโs method of approachย andย choiceย ofย material.ย Teachingย methodsย are classifiedย intoย twoย namely:
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CHAPTERย THREE
RESEARCHย METHOD
ย Introduction
In this chapter the design of the study Area of the study, population of the study, samplingย andย samplingย techniques,ย instrumentsย forย dataย collection,ย validationย ofย instruments,ย reliability of the instrument, experimental procedure, control of extraneous variable, andย methodย of dataย analysisย areย presentedย andย discussed.
Designย ofย theย study
A quasi-experimental design, specifically non-equivalent control group design wasย employed. The design is considered appropriate for the study because intact classes wereย usedย toย avoidย disruptionย of normalย classย lesson.
Theย designย isย presentedย below:
Populationย ofย theย Study
The Population of the study comprise all year two senior secondary school (SS11)ย Studentsย inย Jos Southย localย Governmentย Areaย ofย Plateauย Stateย numberingย threeย thousandย threeย hundredย andย nineteenย (3319)ย asย atย 2013/2014ย academicย sessionย inย 30ย secondary schools.ย (Source: Postย Primary School Managementย Board, PPSMB, Jos Southย Zone). At this age of secondary school, students are generally between 16 and 18ย years ofย age and wouldย have reached the formal level of recognition andย expectedย to be able toย reason abstractly. Alsoย they wouldย have completed twoย years of science education on oneย orย allย ofย theย coreย sciencesย andย areย expectedย toย be scientificallyย literates.
CHAPTERย FOUR
PRESENTATION OF Rย RESULTS
Thisย chapterย presentsย theย analysisย ofย theย dataย collectedย inย lineย withย theย researchย questionsย andย hypothesesย thatย guidedย theย study.
Researchย Questionย One:ย Whatย isย theย relativeย effectย ofย mapย andย lectureย methodsย onย studentsโย meanย achievementย scores?
CHAPTERย FIVE
DISCUSSION,ย CONCLUSIONย ANDย SUMMARY
Introduction
Thisย chapterย presentsย theย discussionย ofย findings,ย conclusion,ย educationalย implications, recommendations, limitation of the study, suggestions for further studies andย finally,ย theย summaryย of theย study.
Discussionย ofย theย Findings
Theย effectย ofย mapย instructionalย strategyย onย studentsโย achievementย inย Science
The findings of the study revealed that the students taught with mapย instructionalย strategyย achievedย higherย thanย theirย counterpartsย taughtย withย theย lectureย method.ย Itย alsoย showedย thatย thereย is aย significantย differenceย between the meanย achievementย scoresย ofย theย studentsย taught withย mapย instructionalย strategyย andย thoseย taughtย withย lectureย methodย inย favourย ofย thoseย taughtย withย map. The finding of the study are in line with that of Ajaja (2011) who found thatย students exposed to the map as the study skill achieved more in Science thanย thoseย whoย wereย not.ย Theย findingsย alsoย agreeย withย theย findingsย ofย Karakuyuย (2010)ย who observedย thatย drawingย conceptย mapย instructionย wasย moreย effectiveย thanย traditionalย instructionย inย improvingย physicsย achievementย ofย theย participatingย students.ย Hence,ย theย overall findings support the assertion that map makes a difference in studentsโย learningย (Ableย &ย Freeze,ย 2006;ย Hay,ย 2007).
Theย resultsย ofย thisย studyย equallyย extendย theย assertionsย ofย Bilesanmi-Aworderuย (2002), Ahlberg andย Ahoranta (2004), Malik (2009), Khawaldeh andย Al-Olimat (2010),ย Sneadย andย Youngย (2003).ย Accordingย toย thoseย researchers,ย mapย providesย opportunityย forย activeย involvementย ofย studentsย inย theirย learningย processย andย henceย enhances their thinking ability while cross questioning and thinking for seeking solution.ย Mapย facilitatesย andย evenย stimulatesย imaginationsย ofย theย learner.ย Thus,ย presentation of the concepts to the fellow students brings a greater conceptual clarity forย themselvesย (Freeman,ย 2004).ย Duringย theย discussionย amongย theย peers,ย learnersย becomeย awareย ofย theirย misconceptions.ย Inconsistentย reasoningย leadsย toย cognitiveย conflict.ย Inย normal discourse there is a chance that misconceptions of the learners are gone unchecked.ย Butย whenย conceptย mapย is drawn,ย theย misconceptionsย can beย tracedย very easily by theย teacherย orย byย comparingย studentย madeย conceptย mapsย withย theย scientificallyย acceptedย conceptย maps.
Conclusionsย Reachedย Fromย theย Findingsย ofย theย Study
Basedย onย theย findingsย andย discussionย ofย theย study,ย theย followingย conclusionย wasย made;
- There is a significant difference (p< 0.05) between the mean achievementscore of students exposedย toย map approach andย those exposedย toย lectureย methodย inย Scienceย inย favourย ofย experimental group
- There is no significant difference (p< 05) between the interest mean scores of students exposed to map method of teaching and those that were exposed to lecture method in Science in favour of the experimental group.
- There is no significant effect of gender (p>0.05) on the achievement of students taught using map and those taught using lecture
- There is no significant effect of gender (p>0.05)on students interest in Science
- There is no significant interaction effect of treatment and gender (p>0.05) on students achievement in
- There is no significant interaction effect of treatment and gender (p>0.05) on students interest inย ย .
Educationalย Implicationsย ofย theย Findingsย ofย theย Study
The findings of this study have implications for Science teaching in Nigeria. Theย findings of the study showed thatย the use of map teaching approach enhancesย the achievement andย interest of students moreย than theย conventional method.ย This, by implication, means that the use of conventional method of teaching cannot lead toย effectiveย teachingย ofย Scienceย asย wellย asย studentsโย achievementย andย interest.
Also, the findings indicated that gender is not a significant factor in the achievement andย interest of students.ย The implication isย that equal attention should be given toย bothย maleย andย femaleย studentsย duringย teachingย andย learningย ofย Scienceย sinceย thereย wasย no significantย differenceย inย theย achievementย ofย maleย andย femaleย studentsย asย aย resultย ofย theย useย ofย mapย instructionalย technique.
ย Recommendations
Fromย theย findingsย ofย theย study,ย theย followingย recommendationsย wereย made:
- Teacher educators in Universities and Colleges of Educations should be focused onpreparing Teachers to acquire appropriate skills and competence needed forย mapย instructional
- Theministryย ofย educationย shouldย throughย seminars,ย workshops,ย andย conferencesย equipย serving Teachers withย requisiteย knowledgeย andย competencesย on theย utilizationย of conceptย mapsย inย teachingย and
- Teachersshouldย beย encouragedย toย useย theย mapย instructionalย strategyย inย teachingย andย ย Thisย couldย beย doneย by organizingย seminars,ย workshop and conferences for teachers by the Government or relevant professionalย bodies like Science Teachers Association ofย Nigeria (STAN) on how toย adopt the useย ofย mapย inย theย teachingย andย learningย ofย Scienceย in theย classroom.
Summaryย ofย theย Study
Theย studyย investigatedย theย effectย ofย mapย instructionalย strategyย onย studentsโย achievementย inย secondaryย schoolsย inย Jos Southย Localย Government, Plateau State.ย Six research questions were posed to guide the study and wereย answered using mean and standard deviation. On the other hand, six null hypotheses wereย formulatedย andย testedย atย 0.05ย levelย ofย significanceย usingย analysisย ofย covarianceย (ANCOVA).
The design adopted for the study was a quasi-experimental, precisely pre-test, post-ย test non- equivalent control group design. The target population of the study is the entireย senior secondary II (SSII) Students in Jos South Local Government, Plateau State.ย eighty (80) Students were purposively sampled from two intact classes from twoย purposively selected co-educational secondary schools in Jos South Local Government andย were used for the study. The main instruments used for data collection were the Achievement Testย (AAT)ย andย Scienceย Interestย Inventoryย (BII).ย Dataย obtainedย wereย analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the six research questions whileย analysis of covariance was used to test the six null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance.ย The results showedย among others thatย students that were taught using mapย instructionalย strategyย achievedย betterย thanย theirย counterpartsย taughtย withย the lectureย method;ย Studentsย thatย were taught using mapย instructionalย strategy hadย higherย interestย score than theirย counterparts taught with theย lecture methodย andย thatย thereย isย aย significantย differenceย betweenย theย meanย achievementย scoresย ofย theย students taught in secondary schools withย mapย instructional strategyย andย thoseย taughtย withย lectureย methodย inย favourย ofย theย experimental group.
From the discussion of the findings, the educational implications of the study wereย highlighted. Based on the implications of the study, recommendations were proffered. Theย limitationsย ofย theย studyย wereย highlightedย andย suggestionsย forย furtherย studiesย wereย made.
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