Comparative Effect of Co-operative Learning Strategy and Inquiry-Based Method in the Learning of Chemistry Among Secondary Schools in Nigeria
Chapter One
Purpose of study
Chemistry teaching is supposed to be result oriented and students centred, and this can only be achieved when students are willing and the teachers are favourably disposed, using the appropriate methods and resources in teaching the students. Students by nature are curios; they need to be actively involved in the learning process in which they are continuously equipping, testing, speculating and building their own personal construct and knowledge. It is only by personalizing such knowledge that it becomes valid, meaningful and useful to them. In chemistry, students need to actively construct their own personal awareness and meaning. To substantiate the argument, Usman remarked that the brain is not a passive consumer of information and to learn with understanding, a learner must actively construct meaning of what to be learned.
Science practical in schools is aimed at giving the students the opportunity to gain meaningful learning, acquire appropriate skills and attitudes that enable them live and contribute to the development of society. And it cannot be achieved when the ineffective teaching pattern and strategy is being used.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Just as this research work is being implemented to comparatively display the effect of various instructional and teaching strategies and patterns of the course Chemistry in Secondary schools in Nigeria. This chapter shall to a great extent review related literatures, articles and research works that have been produced on the topic at hand starting with the Nigerian secondary school system and other related as well as necessary headings and sub headings.
THE NIGERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
Strategies and ways to improve the study of chemistry in Nigeria cannot be effectively discussed without delving into the issues of the educational system the 6-3-3-4 system, which of course gave birth to the inclusion of introductory technology in the secondary school curriculum. Nigeria inherited the 6-3-3-4 system of education which was patterned with the lopsided emphasis on the famous 3-R’s-reading, writing and arithmetic’s form our erstwhile colonial masters. The system was designed by the British primarily to produce the type of manpower the colonial masters needed to administer the country. The emphasis of the system was on literary education while technology, agriculture and other practical subject particular sub-professional level were not reckoned with.
This system was found to be inadequate as it becomes increasingly obvious that the system had tended to ignore the contemporary world’s meaningful responses to science and technology. In effect the 6-5-2-3 system did not provide for the all-round educational development of the Nigerian child. It increased our unemployment problems as school were producing white-collar job seekers rather than helping to producer job creators. The western educational system in Nigerians of individuals and the nation. Most Nigerian student could not derive any benefit from the system as it failed to provide for vocational and technological independence. All these lapses in the system prompted that would not only place emphasis on the acquisition of practical skills and basic scientific knowledge but would be broad and child centered.
In 1969, a conference was held to draw up a new national curriculum to replace the 6-5-2-3 educational system Another seminar under the chairmanship of chief simeon Adebo was held in 1973 to deliberate on all aspects of a national policy on education. The subsequent issuance of government white paper on the report of the seminar gave birth to a new system of education the 6-3-3-4- system which was first published in 1977 and revised in 1981.
The 6-3-3-4 system of education became a veritable launching pad that propelled Nigeria towards progress. It made Nigerian education system more responsive to the new world order, an order that sets high premium on technological excellence.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Design of the research
This chapter discussed the methodology for the research on comparative effect of cooperative learning strategy and inquiry or problem based learning of chemistry among secondary schools in Nigeria, also contained in this chapter are the following headings and sub-headings;
Area of study
The research covered 3 secondary schools in Abaji Local government Area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Nigeria.
Population of study
The study population of this research comprises of 250 students drawn from 3 secondary schools in Abaji Local government Area of Abuja.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
As reviewed in chapter two of this work, CIS was applied to teach a group of two hundred and fifty (250) Senior Secondary two (SS11) chemistry students and were purposively sampled from three public Secondary schools in Abaji local government Area, Abuja Nigeria. In this study, a 3x3x2 quasi-experimental, non-randomised, factorial design was employed for easier arrival on tangible result and three hypotheses were tested. The experimental group was divided into mixed ability groups of five members. Cooperative instructional package was developed by the researcher and given to the participating group using the heuristics of solving chemistry problems as outlined by Ashmore et. al (1957). The control group was exposed only to the lecture method without any reference to the Ashmore heuristics for solving chemistry problems. The aspects of chemistry taught to the two groups were
(i) The gas laws and
(ii) The mole.
This experiment lasted for six weeks. At the end of treatment period, Chemistry Performance Test (CPT) was administered to all the students as a post test. The CPT consists of twenty test items covering areas of knowledge, comprehension and application. The result obtained from this test was processed for statistical analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
– Conclusion
– Summary of findings
– Recommendation
CONCLUSION
The study examined the comparative effect of Cooperative Learning Strategy and Inquiry Based Learning method on students’ problem solving and learning abilities in Nigerian secondary schools in chemistry. The study presented cooperative learning strategy (CLS) and Inquiry Based Learning (IBL), their characteristics, features and application to the teaching and learning of chemistry in the classroom. CLS as an innovative technique has been found to be effective in enhancing students’ performance in chemistry. As a result, both IBL and CLS are both therefore recommended for use in the classroom by the teachers in order to induce in learners/students the desired skills necessary for problem solving.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
The way chemistry is being taught in our secondary school has called for an appraisal because of its importance among other science subjects. The poor performance of learners in the subject also calls for improvement in the teaching and learning of the subject. This has led to the focus of the present study to comparatively weigh the effects of Chemistry teaching strategies and patterns in order to find an improved strategy apart from the conventional method commonly used in most schools.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- The current prevailing teaching / learning approach should be restructured by government and relevant educational agencies so as to give room for good and combined learning strategy which will make students good problem-solvers.
- The curricula of the institutions where teachers (i.e, graduates and NCE) are being trained should be broad based so as to encompass the good and comprehensive learning strategy that promotes problem-solving skills.
- Government and relevant professional agencies should organize workshops, seminars and conferences to address the innovative techniques of chemistry teaching.
- Teachers on the job should be made to be aware of the updated best technique as a way of popularizing it.
- Teachers should be encouraged to adopt both IBL and CLS as supplementary or alternative strategy to the conventional methods of teaching.
BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES
- Adeyegbe, S.O. [1993]: The senior secondary school science curriculum and Journal of STAN. 28,102-131
- Adeyegbe, S. O. [1994]: The senior secondary school science curriculum and candidates’ performance. An appraisal of the first cycle of operation. Journal of STAN, 28,1-2 NERDC Press, Lagos.
- Adigwe, J.C. (1999): Misconception in chemical kinetics: The case of Nigeria secondary schools. Problem and prospects Journal of STAN. 28, 77;-85.
- Ajeyalemi, D. [1983]: The teaching of chemistry. An experience in Nigerian secondary schools. Problems and prospects Journal of STAN 28, 77-85.
- Aluko K.O (2004) Effects of cooperative and individualistic instructional strategies on students’ problem solving abilities in secondary school chemistry in Ilesa, Nigeria.
- Unpublished Ph.D.thesis, University of Ilorin, Nigeria.
- Amiodoh H. (1984): Enhancing chemistry teaching in Nigerian secondary Schools. A teaching approach. Journal of STAN 22 920 38-42.
- Theodore L. Brown, H. Eugene Lemay, Bruce Edward Bursten, H. Lemay. Chemistry: The Central Science. Prentice Hall; 8 edition (1999). ISBN 0-13-010310-1. Pages 3-4.
