ABSTRACT
The study investigated the effect of Scaffolding and Think-Pair-Share teaching strategies on academic achievement and locus of control in English language comprehension of senior secondary students in South East Nigeria. Eight specific objectives were developed to guide the study. Eight research questions were answered for the study while eight null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance to guide the study. The study adopted a quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test control group design. The study was carried out in Abia state. The population of the study was 4,649 senior secondary two students in 2020/2021 academic session in Abia state. Sample for the study consisted of 48 senior secondary two students drawn from three co-educational schools in Ohafia education zone. Instruments used for data collection for the study were English Language Achievement Test (ELAT) which was validated by five experts and Locus of Control Scale (LOCS) which was adopted from Ekennia (2017).The reliability coefficient of ELAT was established using Kuder-Richardson (K-R20) formula and a coefficient of 0.81 was obtained. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The result revealed that students taught English language comprehension using Scaffolding and Think-Pair-Share teaching strategies respectively recorded higher mean achievement scores than their counterparts taught with Lecture method. The study also found that Scaffolding and Think-Pair-Share strategies have no significant effect on male and female students’ academic achievement in English language. It was recommended among others that English language teachers should be given adequate training by the government on the effective use of innovative teaching strategies such as Scaffolding and Think-Pair-Share. Teachers should be encouraged to incorporate these innovative teaching strategies in classroom instructions.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page
i
Declaration
ii
Certification
iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgements
v
Table of contents
vi
List of Tables
ix
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1
1.1
Background to the Study
1
1.2
Statement of the Problem
11
1.3
Purpose of the Study
12
1.4
Significance of the Study
14
1.5
Research Questions
16
1.6
Hypotheses 17
1.7
Scope of the Study
18
CHAPTER 2:
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 19
2.1
Conceptual Framework 19
2.1.1
Concept of scaffolding
19
2.1.2
Forms of scaffolding technique
22
2.1.3
Scaffolding procedures
25
2.1.4
Features of scaffolding 27
2.1.5
Role of the teacher in a scaffolding classroom 28
2.1.6
Benefits of instructional scaffolding
29
2.1.7
Concept of think-pair-share
29
2.1.8 Rationale for think-pair-share
31
2.1.9 Implementation of think-pair-share in the classroom 33
2.1.10 Role of think-pair-share in language learning 34
2.1.11 Advantages of think-pair-share 35
2.1.12 Concept of lecture method
36
2.1.13 Gender and learning situation 38
2.1.14 Concept of academic achievement 40
2.1.15 Concept and nature of orientation of locus of control 41
2.1.16 The role of English language in the Nigerian nation 43
2.2 Theoretical
Framework
45
2.2.1 Constructivist theory 45
2.2.2 Socio-cultural theory
47
2.3 Review of
Empirical Studies
48
2.4 Summary of the
Reviewed Literature
67
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
70
3.1 Design of the
Study
70
3.2 Area of the
Study
71
3.3 Population of the
Study 72
3.4 Sample and
Sampling Techniques
72
3.5 Instrument for
Data Collection
73
3.6 Validation of the
Instrument
74
3.7 Reliability of
the Instrument
75
3.8 Method of Data
Collection
75
3.8.1 Training of research assistants
76
3.8.2 Experimental procedure
76
3.8.3 Control of extraneous variables
77
3.9 Method of Data
Analysis 79
CHAPTER 4: RESULT AND
DISCUSSION 80
4.1 Results
80
4.2 Summary of Findings
94
4.3 Discussion of Findings
95
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS 101
5.1 Summary of the Study
101
5.2 Conclusion
102
5.3 Educational Implication of the Study
103
5.4 Recommendations
105
5.5 Limitations of the Study
107
5.6 Suggestions for Further Study
107
References 109
Appendices 119
LIST
OF TABLES
4.1: Pre-test and
Post-test Mean Scores of Students Taught English Language
Comprehension
using Scaffolding Teaching Strategy and Lecture Method 80
4.2: Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) of Effect of
Scaffolding on Students’
Mean Scores in English Language
Comprehension 81
4.3: Pre-test and Post-test Mean Scores of Male
and Female Students Taught
English Language Comprehension using
Scaffolding Teaching Strategy 82
4.4: Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) of
Achievement Scores of Male and
Female Students Taught English Language
Comprehension using Scaffolding
Teaching Strategy
83
4.5: Pre-test and Post-test Mean Scores of
Students Taught English Language
Comprehension using Think-Pair-Share
Strategy 83
4.6: Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) of Effect of
Think-Pair-Share Strategy
on
Students Taught English Language Comprehension 84
4.7: Pre-test and Post-test Mean Scores of Male
and Female Students Taught
English Language Comprehension using
Think-Pair-Share Strategy 85
4.8: Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) of
Achievement Scores of Male and
Female Students Taught English Language
Comprehension using
Think-Pair-Share Teaching Strategy
86
4.9: Pre-test and Post-test Mean Scores of Male
and Female Students Taught
English Language Comprehension using
Scaffolding Teaching Strategy
and
Think-Pair-Share Strategy
86
4.10:
Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) of Achievement Scores of Students
Taught English Language Comprehension
using Scaffolding Teaching
Strategy and Think-Pair-Share
Strategy
87
4.11: Pre-test and Post-test Locus of Control Mean
Scores of Students Taught
English Language Comprehension using
Scaffolding Strategy and those
Taught using Lecture Method
88
4.12: Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) on Effect of
Scaffolding Teaching
Strategy on Students’ Locus of Control
in English Language Comprehension 89
4.13: Pre-test and Post-test Scores of Locus of
Control of Students Taught English
Language Comprehension using
Think-Pair-Share Strategy and those Taught
using
Lecture Method
90
4.14: Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) of Locus of
Control Scores of Students
Taught English Language Comprehension
using Think-Pair-Share and
those
Taught using Lecture Method
91
4.15: Mean Interaction Effect of Gender and Methods
on Students’ Academic
Achievement in English Language
Comprehension 92
4.16: Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) of
Interaction Effect of Gender and
Methods on Students’ Academic
Achievement in English Language
Comprehension
93
LIST OF
FIGURES
Figure
1: Illustration of the Design of
the Study 70
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE
STUDY
Language is the hallmark of any group of people, community or society.
It is one enormous advantage man has over other living and non-living things.
Oxford dictionary of English (2020) defines language as the system of
communication in speech and writing that is used by people of a particular
country or area. Language enables people to influence the action of others as
well as talk about past, present and future events. Linguists have defined
language in various ways but what stands out in all is the fact that language
is a code that links the encoder with the decoder. For instance, Azikiwe in
Udosen (2016) sees language as the relationship between words and experience
which could be produced and received in form of verbalization of experience or
experience of verbalization. Language is an abstract and complex system of
communication which has distinguished humans from non-humans (Udosen, 2016).
Although all languages serve the communication function among its users, some
languages tend to occupy the number one position and enjoy more patronage than
others. English language in Nigeria is one of such in spite of its foreign
nature.
The importance of English language in Nigerian education sector cannot
be overemphasized. It is an official and a compulsory subject for all students
in Nigeria (Patrick & Ogwu, 2019). All school subjects except indigenous
languages are written in English language. It is a prerequisite for admission
into the tertiary institutions according to Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN,
2013). English language consists of four skills: speaking, listening, writing
and reading (Afan, Marhaeni & Dantes, 2013).
It is used as a means of instruction from primary to tertiary
education level to provide students the opportunity to acquire knowledge,
values and skills in essay writing, figures of speech, summary, grammar, oral
English, reading comprehension among others (Patrick & Ogwu, 2019).
Reading comprehension is the ability to understand what is being read
in a material. It is a process of constructing and extracting meaning through
interaction with text (Abidin, Pour-Mohammadi, Mohamad & Zainol, 2012).
This shows that comprehension in English language involves the capability to
perceive and understand the meanings communicated by texts. Reading
comprehension, according to Van den Broek and Espin (2012), is a complex
interaction between instinctive and strategic cognitive processes that allows
the reader to form a mental image of the text. Reading comprehension, according
to Moore (2015), is one of the foundations of the act of reading. According to
the author, when someone reads a text, they participate in a complicated set of
cognitive processes. It requires the reader to be able to understand and interpret
what is read. Invariably, it implies that reading comprehension takes place
when the reader understands and interprets what has been encoded (Adedekun,
2019).
The wide spread use of English language is attributed to British
colonisation process which left the colonised nations including Nigeria with no
option than to properly learn and speak English. English language is a subject
taught in all schools in Nigeria. The purpose of teaching English language at
the senior secondary level is for the learners to acquire literary skills and
ability to communicate effectively. National Universities Commission (NUC,
2007) while acknowledging the essential role English plays in Nigeria, in spite
of being a foreign language stipulates that greater attention be devoted to the
achievement of sufficient oral and written skills in it. To accomplish this,
teaching methods that enhance students’ achievement in English language should
be used for instructional delivery.
There are different methods of teaching English language, and these
methods determine the extent of the achievement of set goals in the subject.
Nwani, Akuma and Okechi (2019) observe that appropriate instructional
strategies help students to walk on the path of independent learners and awaken
their desire to learn. Also, Agwu and Ogbonnaya-Iduma (2016) state that
teaching methods are key issues in the teaching profession. It is seriously
advocated that teachers use the right teaching methods that would suit the need
of the students per lesson. According to the authors, a good teacher employs
the right method in each lesson that would accommodate the learning needs of
the students. Supporting the views above, Nwanekezi and Emereonye (2016) state
that:
Effective teaching methods enhance teaching and learning. Therefore,
for effective teaching to take place, a good method must be adopted or adapted
by a teacher; and before such adoption of methods, some factors like student
learning style, instructional objective, group size or class size, learners’
characteristics, age and maturity of students need to be considered (p.190).
In this respect, English language teachers should employ teaching
methods that enable students understand whatever concepts that are taught.
Akinbola in Ekpoudo and Udofia (2019) reports that one of the causes of poor
academic achievement in English language has to do with instructional method
used by the teacher. The author further states that the lecture method of
teaching is teacher-centred rather than student-centred and is predominantly
used for instructional delivery in Nigerian schools. In order to avert the ugly
trend in the continuous poor performance of secondary school students in
English language, the use of innovative teaching methods should be intensified.
Innovative teaching strategies foster cooperation, courage, self-discipline and
tolerance among students, and also help them develop communication skills
(Edegbo & Shuaibu, 2016). Chukwuma-Nosike and Mbakwem (2017) are of the
view that selection of teaching methods totally depends on the classroom
teacher, and are of the opinion that teachers should utilize methods that
promote the interest and abilities of the learners. The appropriateness of
instructional strategies in English language is of great importance. This is
because students learn better when they are active participants in the learning
process. Due to the importance of English language in Nigeria education system,
students especially those at the senior secondary school level should show
proficiency in reading and writing the subject. This is because English
language is a core subject that every student must pass at credit level at the
Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) to enable him/her gain
admission into the university. The use of innovative teaching methods in the
teaching of English language lessons can increase students’ academic
achievement.
Academic achievement is an important educational variable that
expresses the success or failure of a teaching and learning process. Ekpoudo,
Kufre and Udofia (2019) refer to academic achievement as the learning outcome
of the students which can be measured by any form of assessment technique to
ascertain academic gain of the students. Agboh (2015) describes academic
achievement as the learning outcome or the determination of the extent to which
a student has achieved educational goals. Abakpa (2011) postulates that
academic achievement is the measure of accomplishment in a specific field of
study. In the words of Bacon (2011), academic achievement refers to standardized
test scores, grades and overall academic ability and performance outcomes.
Similarly, Ogundokun and Adeyemo in Umaru and Umaa (2015) describe academic
achievement as the outcome of instruction; the end product of a learning
experience. A good teacher who adopts an interactive teaching method produces
active students. Methods of teaching language are as important as curriculum
content, and as such determine to a great extent how children learn.
Unfortunately, some teachers of English language have continued to use the
traditional lecture method of teaching instead of the innovative teaching
methods in their day to day teaching activities (Nwachukwu, 2015).
Lecture method of teaching is a teaching method where students learn
by memorizing rather than understanding through their own active involvement.
In this case, teachers are seen as learned scholars who talk continuously to
the students without getting any feedback or response. This results in
insufficient interaction between a teacher and his/her students. Nwachukwu
(2015) explains that lecture method usually is one-way communication and allows
for little or none audience participation. The result is audience
misunderstanding, loss of information, low achievement and poor retention. A
student’s talent (creativity and rational thinking) cannot develop fully
because some students are afraid of their teachers. It is against this backdrop
that Dikeocha, Nwagu, Ugochukwu and Okoronkwo (2019) say that:
Teachers
in the 21st century need to move away from using teaching methods
that promote rote or memory learning to interactive, collaborative, task based
and learner centred methods. They are not expected to be givers of information
but generators of information. (p. 249).
Teaching approaches are usually named after the dominant activity
employed in the process of the lesson. The way a teacher presents a lesson to
learners may make them like or dislike the subject. It may create in them a
love for or push them away from school. Since the method of presenting a lesson
is important, teachers should be interested with the integration of innovative
teaching methods that are activity-oriented in the teaching of English
language. Innovative teaching strategies are grouped under constructivism.
Constructivism is the theory that says that learners construct
knowledge rather than just passively take in information. Learning is done in
groups in a constructivist classroom, and it is interactive and dynamic.
Constructivism is a form of active learning in which the teacher offers
students with opportunities to predict, manipulate things, pose questions,
explore, investigate, and come up with solutions on their own (Ike, 2016). The
teacher's responsibility is to facilitate this process so that students may
make sense of the task and build knowledge. This is in contrast to the
traditional classroom, when learning is accomplished by repetition and subjects
are rigidly adhered to and led by a textbook. Traditional education relies on
imparting information to students, but constructivism contends that this
information cannot be directly imparted (Bruzga & Grady, 2020). Many
innovative teaching methods exist for the teaching of English language. They
include: Scaffolding, Think-Pair-Share, Jigsaw, Simulation, Guided-Discovery,
Concept-Mapping, Peer-Tutoring to mention but a few. English language needs
constructivist and innovative teaching methods that are practical and
learner-centred to increase students’ academic achievement in English language.
One of such teaching methods is Scaffolding.
Scaffolding is a phrase coined by Lev Vygotsky in 1978 to describe a
process that permits children to advance from their current level of
understanding to a higher level. Owenvbiugie and Iyoha (2017) view Scaffolding
as the strategy that a teacher uses to help learners bridge a cognitive gap in
their learning to a level they were previously unable to accomplish. In
Scaffolding instructional strategy, supports needed in the development of
learners’ cognitive, psychomotor and social skills may include resources,
compelling task, templates and guidance. It is support provided during the
learning process that is targeted to the learner's needs with the goal of
assisting the learner in achieving his or her learning objectives. Scaffolding
in the domain of learning refers to the provision of temporary assistance for
the completion of a task that learners would otherwise be unable to finish.
This assistance can be supplied in a variety of ways, such as modeling and the
posing of questions for various subjects (Jannelle, Volman & Beishuizen,
2020). The scaffolding technique offers pupils with a supportive and conducive
learning environment. Students are not only free to ask questions, provide
feedback, assist their peers in learning new materials, and become more
responsible and accountable for their responsibilities in a Scaffolding
learning environment, but they are also encouraged to go beyond their current
skill and knowledge levels.
Similarly, Mohammed (2016) avers that Scaffolding is a framework that
helps students step beyond age-related limitations by breaking up the learning
into chunks and then providing a tool, or structure through which a child can
gradually build up knowledge. It functions as a tool that allows learners to
accomplish a given task. Another innovative teaching strategy used in the
delivery of English language lessons which is also grouped under constructivism
is Think-Pair-Share teaching strategy.
Think-Pair-Share instructional strategy is a cooperative learning
strategy proposed by Frank Lyman in 1981. Think-Pair-Share is a strategy which
gives students the opportunity to interact, reason together and learn from one
another. The strategy is a very useful teaching method that is applied in many
teaching and learning processes including reading comprehension ((Davis, 2010).
In Think-Pair-Share, learners are encouraged to think about a reading passage
or question and then refine it through discussion with a partner (Davis, 2010).
According to Eke (2019), the Think-Pair-Share technique is a cooperative
learning strategy that emphasizes individual participation and may be used at
all grade levels and in all class sizes. According to the author, the
Think-Pair-Share technique improves the types of personal communications that
students need to absorb, organize, and remember information internally. Instead
of relying exclusively on the authority of the teacher, students take control
of their learning and negotiate meanings by expressing their thoughts.
In a similar spirit, Simon (2020) claims that the Think-Pair-Discuss
technique is intended to differentiate education by giving students time and
structure to think about a topic, allowing them to generate individual ideas
and share them with a peer. By fostering a high level of student reaction, this
teaching technique fosters classroom participation. It allows all students to
share their ideas with at least one other student, increasing their sense of
classroom involvement. Gender may have an impact on students' success in
English language comprehension tasks such as scaffolding and think-pair-share.
As a result, it is necessary to investigate gender and its impact on students'
English language academic accomplishment.
Gender is defined as all socio-economic, cultural and political roles
and behavior a given society ascribes to its citizens based on their biological
category as man, woman, boy and girl (Iwuji, 2016). Nlemchi and Okwulehie
(2015) state that gender is used to describe a set of qualities, characteristics
and behaviours expected from men and women by their society. This implies that
gender comprises the general beliefs, attributes and relationships that
streamline the roles of the men and women in the society. Gender has engaged
the attention of scholars and the general public in recent times. In a study on
assessment of Mathematics/numeracy learning achievement of pupils, Anukam in
Uzomah (2017) posits that male pupils performed better in numeracy in most
schools than female pupils, thus creating an impression that under normal
condition, male pupils are more likely to acquire and perform numeracy tasks
than their female counterparts.
In the same vein, Uzomah (2017) notes an academic disparity against
women (girls) in Science, Technology and Mathematics. These subjects, he says
are perceived as masculine subjects. Similarly, Attah and Ita (2017) report
that females perform better than their male counterparts in English language.
This they say could be because the subject area does not involve much analytical
skills like the sciences where the males perform significantly better than the
females. Agbolor in Urenyere (2014) in independent study observes the
superiority of girls over boys in the science process skill. In the study,
girls were found to be superior in the use of skill of observing, inferring,
predicting, hypothesizing, making operational definitions and interpretation of
data; while the boys were better than girls in experimenting and measuring.
Amedu (2015) reports that the boys achieved significantly higher than the girls
in Biology. He is of the view that boys perform better in science subjects
while the girls perform better in languages and art subjects. These researches
show that in education, there is need for more experimental studies which can
further investigate the impact of gender as a variable. It's also a good idea
to check into locus of control orientation, since it's been shown that male and
female pupils belong to one of two types of locus of control orientation.
The apparent causality of behavioral consequences is referred to as
locus of control orientation. Julian Rotter created the company in 1966. The
locus of control is a psychological term that refers to how much people believe
they have control over events that influence them (Anakwe, 2018). It is a
person's perception of the causes of his or her experiences, as well as the
variables to which he or she credits success or failure. It is one's perception
of how much control they have over occurrences in their lives. Students' perceptions
of the causes of their academic success or failure are referred to as locus of
control. There are two types of loci of control: internal and exterior loci of
control (Araromi,2010).
Students with an internal locus
of control believe that their educational success or failure is determined by
their efforts and hard work. Students with an external locus of control, on the
other hand, feel that their triumphs or failures are due to forces beyond their
control, such as fate, bias, circumstance, luck, injustice, or inept,
prejudiced, or unfair professors (Fakeye, 2011). Students with internal locus
of control are more likely to work hard so as to learn, progress and succeed
while those with external locus of control are more likely to believe that working
hard is pointless because something or someone is holding them back or treating
them unfairly.
Teachers are therefore expected to use Scaffolding and
Think-Pair-Share teaching methods in order to increase the academic achievement
of male and female students regardless of their ability levels. The way boys
and girls react in classroom often reveal their capabilities. Many teaching
methods such as Scaffolding, Think-Pair-Share, Concept-Mapping,
Guided-Discovery to mention a few are, therefore, available for achieving
gender-free teaching in the classroom. It is up to the teacher to adopt the
teaching methods that have great effect on students’ academic achievement in
secondary schools.
Effect is a change that would occur in students’ academic achievement
due to the use of modern teaching methods like Scaffolding and Think-Pair-Share
methods. According to Oxford Dictionary of English (2020), effect is a change
which is a result or consequence of an action or other causes; the extent to
which something succeeds or is operative. It is the way an event or action
changes someone or something. Therefore, in this study, effect is the
difference that arises in students’ academic achievement in English language
comprehension as an outcome of the treatment using Scaffolding and
Think-Pair-Share methods of teaching. The question is, which of the methods of
teaching (Scaffolding and Think-Pair-Share) has greater effect on students’
academic achievement in English language irrespective of their gender in Abia
state? It is on this premise that this study sought to ascertain the effect of
Scaffolding and Think-Pair-Share teaching strategies on academic achievement
and locus of control in English language comprehension of senior secondary
students in Abia state.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE
PROBLEM
English language is the official language of communication in Nigeria.
It is a compulsory subject at secondary school level, and admissions into
higher institutions are dependent on candidates’ achievement in English
language. As such, it is a subject that must be mastered by students at school
levels of education. Unfortunately, students’ performance in this subject has
consistently remained very poor especially in external examinations.
The statistics of result released by the National Examination Council
(NECO) 2015-2019 and West African Examination Council (WAEC) 2016-2018 in
English language showed that the performance of students have been fluctuating
(see Appendix F, pg.221). According to the registrar/chief executive of NECO
report for 2015-2019, the scores of students in English language fell within
68.56%, 84.54%, 70.85%, 84.77% and 71.59% respectively. National bureau of
statistics has it that the West African Examination Council (WAEC) 2016-2018
results are as follows: 52.3%, 56.53% and 48.15% respectively. Many of the
students, parents and other stakeholders have attributed this ugly situation to
teachers’ competence and methods of teaching especially, the use of lecture
method alone (Nwachukwu, 2015). Williams and McClure (2010) advised that in order
to improve the declining poor achievement of students in both internal and
external examinations, teachers must find the most suitable methods to teach
the students so as to find out the best
practices for classroom delivery and minimize achievement loss, using the
resources available to them. Consenting to this view, Uloko in Nwachukwu (2015)
suggested that the poor achievement of students in internal and external
examinations have necessitated the fact that teachers should evolve strategies
that would ensure active participation of students and be practical and
result-oriented. English language is a subject that requires practical and
result-oriented approaches that will involve active participation of every
student; Scaffolding and Think-Pair-Share instructional methods are examples of
the approaches that can offer this opportunity. Based on the importance of
Scaffolding, some educators believe that Scaffolding method of teaching which
involves a teacher’s assistance and support to learners during instruction and
withdrawal when learners can study alone boosts academic achievement. However,
the researcher perceived that some other teachers, especially teachers of
English language argued that Think-Pair-Share method of teaching is better
since it involves students’ active participation in the process of teaching and
learning from the beginning of a lesson to its conclusion. It is then necessary
to examine the effect of Scaffolding and Think-Pair-Share methods of teaching
on students’ academic achievement in English language. This could be probably
because these two groups of teachers have not employed the two teaching methods
to ascertain their efficacy. Is it true that Think-Pair-Share method would have
better or equal effect on the students’ academic achievement in English
language in secondary schools than Scaffolding method of teaching as some
teachers of English language claimed? It is on this background that the
researcher is motivated to carry out this study to compare Scaffolding and
Think-Pair-Share teaching methods in order to determine the one that is more
effective on students’ academic achievement in English language comprehension
in secondary schools in Abia state.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE
STUDY
The main purpose of this study is to find out the effect of
Scaffolding and Think-Pair-Share teaching strategies on academic achievement
and locus of control in English language comprehension of senior secondary
students in Abia state. Specifically, the objectives of the study were to:
- determine
the effect of Scaffolding teaching strategy and Lecture method on
students’ academic mean achievement in English language comprehension at
post-test.
- find
out the mean achievement scores of male and female students taught English
language comprehension using Scaffolding teaching strategy at post-test.
- determine
the effect of Think-Pair-Share teaching strategy and Lecture method on
students’ academic mean achievement in English language comprehension at
post-test.
- find
out the mean achievement scores of male and female students taught English
language comprehension using Think-Pair-Share teaching strategy at
post-test.
- find
out the difference in the mean achievement scores of students taught
English language comprehension using Scaffolding strategy and those taught
using Think-Pair Share strategy at post-test.
- determine
the difference in the locus of control of students taught English language
comprehension using Scaffolding teaching strategy and those taught using
Lecture method.
- ascertain
the difference in the locus of control of students taught English language
comprehension using Think-Pair-Share teaching strategy and those taught
using Lecture method.
- determine
the interaction effect of gender and methods on students’ mean academic
achievement scores in English language comprehension at post-test.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF
THE STUDY
The findings of this study would be of immense benefit to students,
teachers of English language, curriculum planners in education for senior
secondary two, researchers in education, parents and the society if published.
The result of this study would be of advantage to the students. The
students would benefit from the study by being exposed to the teaching of
English language through interactive methods of teaching that equip them with
the appropriate knowledge and skills that will enable them to improve their
academic performance in English language comprehension.
The study would provide information to the teachers of English
language on the effectiveness of Scaffolding and Think-Pair-Share teaching
methods in the teaching of English language. In the same way, it would motivate
teachers to change from conventional lecture method and introduce Scaffolding
and Think-Pair-Share methods (when necessary) where every student will actively
participate in lessons. To the teachers, the identification of better methods
of teaching would make teaching and learning process more interesting because
students’ performance would be improved upon and their interest sustained, thus
enabling the realisation of the stated instructional objectives which is the
goal of every academic enterprise.
The study would provide information to curriculum planners in
education on innovative methods of teaching English language. It would give
curriculum planners information that will help them during curriculum revision
in English language. Curriculum planners can utilize the result of this study
in designing programmes for Senior Secondary English courses, bearing the
performance of both sexes in mind. The recommendations from the study would
give curriculum planners for Senior Secondary two an idea that there is need to
organize seminars, workshops, and conferences for English language teachers.
This would enable teachers undergo some in-service trainings on how to
effectively use innovative and interactive teaching methods for the teaching of
English language.
The study would provide information to future researchers in education
by providing them with empirical data on some effective teaching methods for
the implementation of English language curriculum. The result of this study
when properly explored by other researchers would positively affect students’
performance in English language.
The study would be beneficial to parents as their children would be
taught with innovative and interactive teaching methods which would help them
become independent learners and problem solvers. It would help parents to know
one of the factors that increases or hinders their children’s achievement in
school, to enable them guide their children at home so as to achieve their set
goals.
The study would also be of immense benefit to the society by producing
well behaved students through interactive and activity-oriented teaching
strategies. The study would enable learners and teachers see learning as a
fun-filled activity, especially through the atmosphere of collaboration that
pervades the classroom during instruction with Scaffolding and Think-Pair-Share
strategies. This helps to raise the reading interest of students which may be
presently considered to be low. This would also help to improve the low
literacy level being experienced among students in our society. The
stakeholders mentioned above would benefit from the study more if it is
published.
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions guided the study:
- What
is the effect of Scaffolding teaching strategy and Lecture method on
students’ academic mean achievement scores in English language
comprehension at post-test?
- What
is the effect of Scaffolding teaching strategy on male and female
students’ academic mean achievement scores in English language
comprehension at post-test?
- What
is the effect of Think-Pair-Share teaching strategy and Lecture method on
students’ academic mean achievement scores in English language
comprehension at post-test?
- What
is the effect of Think-Pair-Share teaching strategy on male and female
students’ academic mean achievement scores in English language
comprehension at post-test?
- What
is the difference in the mean achievement scores of students taught
English language comprehension using Scaffolding strategy and those taught
using think-Pair-Share strategy at post-test?
- What
is the difference in the locus of control of students taught English
language comprehension using Scaffolding teaching strategy and those
taught using Lecture method?
- What
is the difference in the locus of control of students taught English
language comprehension using Think-Pair-Share teaching strategy and those
taught using Lecture method?
- What
is the interaction effect of gender and teaching methods on students’ mean
academic achievement in English language comprehension at post-test?
1.6 HYPOTHESES
The following hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of
significance to guide the study:
HO1 There is no significant difference in the academic mean
achievement scores of students in English language comprehension when taught
using Scaffolding and Lecture methods at post-test.
HO2Scaffolding teaching strategy has no significant
differential effect on male and female students’ academic achievement in
English language comprehension at post-test.
HO3 There
is no significant difference between the academic mean achievement scores of
students taught English language comprehension using Think-Pair-Share strategy
and Lecture method at post-test.
HO4Think-Pair-Share teaching strategy has no significant
differential effect on male and female students’ academic achievement in
English language comprehension at post-test.
HO5 There is no significant difference between the academic
mean achievement of students taught English language comprehension using
Scaffolding strategy and those taught using Think-Pair-Share strategy at
post-test.
HO6 There
is no significant differential effect on the Locus of Control of students
taught English language comprehension using Scaffolding strategy and Lecture
method.
HO7 There is no significant differential effect on the
Locus of Control of students taught English language comprehension using
Think-Pair-Share strategy and Lecture method.
HO8 There is no significant interaction effect of gender
and teaching methods on students’ mean achievement in English language
comprehension at post-test.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study was delimited to Senior Secondary School two English
language students in Abia state, Nigeria. The study concentrated on
comprehension in the English language third term scheme of work for Senior
Secondary School two. Comprehension passages that were covered are ‘classes of
learners, the ascent of Everest, marriage, the river crossing, my school
principal, the dark continent, reading and writing, the age of computer, my
memorable experience, road traffic accident, the verdict, and language speaking
and writing (see appendix A, pp.119-133).
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