Effects of Concept Mapping Combined With Activity-based Methods as Strategy in Teaching Sound Wave on Secondary School Students’ Academic Achievement in Physics in Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives
The main purpose of this study was to determine the effects of concept mapping combined with activity-based methods as strategy in teaching sound wave on secondary school students’ academic achievement in physics in Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Specifically, the study seeks to:
- Find out whether there exist any difference in mean achievement scores of students when taught sound waves using concept mapping combined with activity-based methods and lecture method.
- Find out whether students’ mean achievement scores differ by gender when taught sound waves using concept mapping combined with activity-based strategy.
- Find out whether mean achievement scores differ by students’ ability level when taught sound waves using concept mapping combined with activity-based strategy.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
In this chapter, studies related to the present investigations are reviewed under the following headings:
Theoretical Framework
Conceptual Framework
Empirical Study Review
Summary of Review of Related Literature
Theoretical Framework
A theory is a set of propositions that can account for or explain certain phenomena or events. According to Nworgu (2006), a theory is a system for providing explanations about phenomena. Theories are useful because they often open the human eyes to other possibilities and ways of seeing the world. Theories explain and predict behaviours. Based on the above statement, the following learning theories which are related to the present study are reviewed. These includes: Jerome Bruner’s cognitive learning theory and Gagne cognitive learning theory.
Jerome Bruner’s Cognitive Learning Theory 1968
Jerome Bruner theory of learning emphasizes the importance of the discovery learning method in instruction. Bruner believed that learning is best promoted when one is able to figure things him or herself. The theory is cognitively oriented and emphasizes the role of human intellective functioning and mental processes in learning. Bruner in his theory stated that there are therefore two forms of discovery learning namely; assimilation and accommodation. He further emphasized that teachers will deliberately build potential incongruities into the learning materials which will cause disequilibrium in the learner.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODS
This chapter focused on the research methods under the following sub-headings: research design, area of the study, population of the study, sample and sampling technique, instrumentation, validation of the instrument, reliability of the instrument, scoring, research procedure and method of data analysis.
Research Design
The research design for this study was the quasi-experimental of nonrandomized pretest-posttest control group design. This design was adopted because subjects were not randomly assigned to groups instead intact classes were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
This chapter is focused under presentation of results in the order of research questions and hypotheses, discussion and summary of findings
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATION AND IMPLICATION FOR THE STUDY
Summary
The study was conducted to determine the effects of concept mapping and activity-based strategy in teaching sound waves on secondary school students’ academic achievement in physics in Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. A quasi-experimental of non-randomized control group design was used for the study. The population of the study made up of 341 SS2 physics students in all the seven (7) public secondary schools in the study area. The sample of the study was 88 SS2 physics students from two intact-classes.
A review of related literature was done to cover the sub-variables considered for the study. The instrument used for data collection was achievement test called “Physics achievement test” (PAT). The researcher developed PAT was face and content validated by the experts including the research supervisor. The reliability index (r) obtained was 0.68. Three research questions and null hypotheses were developed to guide and direct the study. Data collected were analyzed using the mean () and standard deviation (SD) for answering the research questions, while t-test method was used in testing the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The results of the findings revealed that there was a significant difference between the mean achievement scores of students when taught sound waves using concept mapping combined with activity based methods and lecture method. Although the study found a slight mean difference between male and female students, there was no significant difference in the mean achievement of male and female students when taught sound waves using concept-mapping combined with activity-based methods. The study also found significant difference in the mean achievement scores of students with high and low ability levels when taught sound waves using concept-mapping combined with activity-based methods. Based on the findings, the study concluded that concept-mapping and activity-based strategy in teaching sound waves has significant effects on secondary schools students’ academic achievement in physics. The researcher therefore recommended among others that physics teachers and other science related teachers should embrace the use of concept mapping and activity-based strategy since it help students relates better the concept taught as well as exposing to the hands-on, minds-on learning for a higher retention of the concepts.
Conclusion
Based on the findings, the study concluded that:
- There was a significant difference in the mean achievement scores of students when taught sound waves using concept-mapping combined with activity-based methods and lecture method. This was evidenced as the difference existed was in favour of those taught using concept-mapping with activity-based strategy.
- Although the mean score of male students was slightly higher than the mean score of female students when taught using concept-mapping with activity-based strategy. The study found no significant difference in the mean achievement scores of male and female students when taught sound waves using concept-mapping with activity-based strategy.
- There was a significant difference in the mean achievement scores of students with high and low ability levels when taught sound waves using concept-mapping combined with activity-based strategy. The finding revealed that students with high ability level performed better than those with low ability level.
Recommendations
Based on the findings, the researcher recommended that:
- Physics and other science related teachers should develop a positive attitude towards the teaching by using concept-mapping and activity-based strategy for effective teaching and learning of physics and other science related subjects at the secondary level of education.
- Serving physics teachers should be sponsored on a regular basis to workshops, seminar and conferences organized by professional science associations. This will prepare teachers with respect to its philosophical background, theoretical base and practical usage of concept-mapping strategy.
- Curriculum developers should incorporate concept-mapping and activity-based strategy in curriculum guidelines for achievement of intended learning outcomes and content development for meaningful and higher order learning.
- Facilities should be provided by the federal and state governments as well as PTAs and NGOs for effective use of concept-mapping and activity-based strategy for teaching in senior secondary schools.
Suggestions for Further Studies
Based on the findings, the researcher suggested that:
- A similar study may be carried out to cover a larger scope in different location either within or outside the state.
- It may also be carried out to cover other levels of education in Nigeria such as primary level, junior secondary and tertiary level of education so that the gap of poor performance as a result of poor teaching method be felt.
- Physics education researchers in particular may replicate and improve this study at a different location and at other education levels in the country.
Implication of the Study for Education
An implication of findings of this study is that with majority of teachers having traditional views of nature of physics, physics in schools is likely to be communicated as a body of knowledge and teachers are likely to teach physics without reference to the ways in which the concepts in physics were developed. In this way, physics will continue to be communicated as a set of facts rather than a human activity.
Another implication of the findings of this study is that with traditional view, students are likely to be encouraged to observe scientific concepts without an understanding of the fundamental concepts underlying what they are asked to observe consequently, teachers as resource persons are not likely to teach an authentic view of physics. Therefore, there is need for quality physics teachers as human resource persons in schools who are responsible for translating concepts into practice and encourage the students to learn physics in a practical way so as to promote the retention ability. Demonstration by the teachers alone should be discouraged. This is because the nature of physics demands that it should be taught using hands-on, minds-on activities and some other innovative teaching strategies involving manipulation of instructional materials by students. It is only by this means that boys and girls are aimed with the appropriate tools and abilities needed to explore physics as well as solving challenging problems in physics.
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