ABSTRACT
The study investigated the effect of cooperative and competitive learning strategies on academic achievement of secondary school physics students in Abia State. Six research questions were developed and answered and six null hypotheses were formulated and tested for the study. Quasi-experimental research design that involved experimental groups and control group was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised 1437 students made up of all the 2018/2019 Senior Secondary (SSI) Physics students in Umuahia Education zone of Abia State. A sample size of 129 Senior Secondary School physics students was drawn from the population of Umuahia education zone involving three intact classes using Simple random sampling technique and purposive sampling technique. Instrument used for this study was Physics Achievement Test (PAT) which consists of fifty (50) multiple choice questions adapted from West African Examination Council (WAEC). It was subjected to face and content validation by three experts in the Department of Science Education, one in Physics Education and two experts in Measurement and Evaluation, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. The reliability of PAT was determined using Kuder-Richardson 20, which yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.76. Data collected through the administration of the instruments were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer research questions and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance.The major findings of the study is that both cooperative and competitive learning strategies are effective teaching methods but secondary school physics students achieved better with competitive learning strategy. Based on the findings, it was recommended that competitive learning strategy was superior over cooperative learning mode and should be used by teachers to facilitate learning. That physics teachers should make competitive learning and cooperative learning strategies fundamental part of their teaching.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Cover page
Title
page i
Declaration ii
Certification
iii
Dedication
iv
Acknowledgements v
Table
of Contents vii
List
of Tables
ix
List
of Appendices x
Abstract xi
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 7
1.3 Purpose
of the Study 8
1.4 Research
Questions 9
1.5 Hypotheses 9
1.6 Significance of the Study 10
1.7 Scope of the Study 12
CHAPTER
2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Conceptual Framework 13
2.1.1
Concepts of Physics 13
2.1.2 The
Physics Curriculum 17
2.1.3 Teaching and Learning of
Physics 23
2.1.4 Learning Strategies 26
2.1.5
Gender and the Teaching and Learning of Physics 36
2.2 Theoretical Framework 38
2.2.1 Vygotsky Constructivist Social
Learning Theory by Lev Vygotsky 1978 38
2.2.2. Gagne’s Cognitive Learning
Theory by Gagne in 1985 39
2.3 Empirical Studies 40
2.4 Summary of Literature Reviewed 47
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY
3.1 Design of the Study 49
3.2 Area of the Study 50
3.3 Population
of Study 51
3.4 Sample and Sampling Technique 51
3.5 Instrument for Data
Collection 52
3.6 Validation of the
Instrument 52
3.7 Reliability of the
Instrument 53
3.8 Method
of Data Collection 53
3.8.1 Experimental Procedure 54
3.9 Control of Extraneous Variables 54
3.10 Method of Data
Analysis
56
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS
AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Results
57
4.2 Summary of the major findings 69
4.3 Discussion of Findings 70
CHAPTER 5:
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary
of the Study 76
5.2 Conclusion 79
5.3 Recommendations 80
5.4 Educational
Implications of the Study 81
5.5 Limitations of the Study 82
5.6 Suggestion
for Further
Research 83
REFERENCES 84
APPENDICES
91
LIST OF TABLES
4.1. Mean Achievement Scores of Students Taught
Physics with Cooperative Learning Strategy and those Taught
with Lecture Method 57
4.2. Analysis of Covariance on the Mean
Achievement Scores of Students taught Physics with
Cooperative Learning Strategy and those Taught with Lecture Method 58
4.3. Mean achievement scores of students taught
physics with competitive learning Strategy and those taught with lecture
method 59
4.4. Analysis of covariance on the mean
achievement scores of students taught Physics with Competitive Learning Strategy and
those taught with Lecture Method 60
4.5. Mean Achievement Scores of Students taught
Physics with Cooperative Learning Strategy and Those taught with
Competitive Learning Strategy 61
4.6. Analysis of covariance on the mean
achievement scores of students taught Physics with Cooperative
Learning Strategy and those taught with Competitive Learning Strategy 62
4.7. Influence of Gender on the Mean Achievement
Scores of Students taught Physics with Cooperative and Lecture Method 63
4.8. Analysis of covariance on the mean
achievement scores of Male
and Female Students taught Physics
with
Cooperative Learning Strategy and Lecture Method 64
4.9.
Influence of Gender on the Mean Achievement Scores of Students taught
Physics with Competitive Learning and Lecture Method 65
4.10
Analysis of covariance on the mean achievement scores of male and female
students taught Physics with Competitive Learning Strategies Method 66
4.11: Interaction Effects of Gender and Learning Strategies on Students’ Achievement in Physics 67
4.12:
Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) of interaction effect of Gender and
Learning Strategies on Students’ Mean
Achievement Scores in Physics 68
LIST OF APPENDICES
1. Physics
Achievement Test 91
2. Physics
Achievement Test Model Answers 100
3. Computation
of the Physics SS I Test Blue Print or Table of Specifications
for Validity 101
4. Kuder-Richardson
20 Computer
Output of Reliability Index 102
5. Conventional
Teaching Method 103
CHAPTER
1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Science has been regarded as the bedrock of modern-day
technological breakthroughs. Nowadays, countries all over the world, especially
the developing ones like Nigeria, are striving hard to develop technologically
and scientifically, since the world is turning scientific and all proper
functioning of lives depend greatly on science. According to Ogunleye
(2012), Science is a dynamic human activity concerned
with understanding the workings of the world. This understanding helps man to
know more about the universe. Without the applications of science, it would
have been difficult for man to explore the other planets of the universe.
Science comprises the basic disciplines such as Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics
and Biology.
Physics is a branch of science
concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy. The subject
matter of Physics includes mechanics, heat, light and other radiation, sound,
electricity, magnetism and the structure of atoms. The general objectives of
the Physics curriculum as stated in the curriculum document (FME, 2019) are to:
i. provide basic literacy in Physics for functional living in the
society
ii. acquire basic concepts and principles of Physics as a
preparation for further studies
iii. acquire essential scientific skills and attitude as a
preparation for the technological application of Physics.
iv. stimulate and enhance creativity.
The general sense for the secondary school Physics programme encompasses
three main objectives; acquisition of relevant knowledge with understanding,
ability to handle and process information and problem solving through acquired
knowledge, experimental skills and scientific investigation. Physics has
underpinned technological advancement across the globe and is an essential
ingredient in the ongoing and future technological development in the African
continent (Onasanya & Omosewo, 2010).
The development of any society requires physics knowledge and skills. This
implies a high priority being given to physics education. Students are the
future of a nation and scientifically literate students will be agents of
development (Abdullahi, 2012). Abdullahi (2012) has asserted the importance of
physics by saying that the technological potential of a country is more
accurately gauged by the quality of its physics education than any other single
index.
Physics is an important subject in its own right but it also supports
other subjects. Physics is an important subject for economic, scientific and
technological development (American Physics Society, 2018; Zhaoyao, 2012). Students who want to acquire higher
educational qualifications in the fields of engineering or medical sciences
must have strong background knowledge of physics. So, providing secondary
students with clear and standard basic physics knowledge which they can utilize
in their future studies has broad value.
However, as important as Physics is, science educators have been
lamenting over the poor achievement of students in the subject in senior
secondary schools for the past decades. (Ifeakor, 2016; Mari, 2012; Njoku, 2014;
Nwachukwu, 2018). Many factors have been attributed to the observed poor
performance of students in Physics. Some of these factors include teaching
method used by Physics teachers, difficult nature of the topics/concepts, lack
of equipment and instructional materials etc. (Ali, 2016; Ifeakor, 2016; Nnaka
2016; Nzewi, 2010; Ukwungwu, 2010). Students’ poor performance in Physics for
quite a long time now, has resulted to inadequate number of students offering
Physics oriented courses in tertiary educational institutions in Nigeria. The
persistent poor performance has also contributed to poor economy, poor
industrialization, lack of job, starvation, high maternal and infant mortality
rate, spread of disease and sickness, environmental unfriendliness, lack of
peace to mention but a few. Professionals required to take care of those
problems can only be effectively produced through Physics education. Many
Physics concepts in the senior secondary school curriculum are perceived to be
abstract and difficult to understand by the learners. West African Examination
Council Chief Examiner’s reports (2016, 2017,2018) have consistently enumerated
candidates’ weakness as poor language expressions, inability to adhere to
instructions, poor interpretation of questions, inability to tackle numerical
questions, poor definitions, omission/wrong units, inability to write balanced
equations, use of formulae instead of names, poor drawing skills, inability to
read and interpret graph, inability to draw sensible inference from recorded
observations. Kozma and Russell (2014) reported that the concept of mechanics is
very difficult to understand. Tajudun (2015) discovered that the students perceived thirteen out
of twenty (65%) topics in Physics as difficult. The study also revealed that
students’ sex has no influence on their perception of difficult topics.
However, the study did not cover many other important topics which examining
body like West African Examination Council adjudged difficult to students. Ali
(2016) opines that the most important factor for effective learning to take
place in science is an interesting instructional approach. Njoku (2014)
maintains that teachers are under intense pressure to cover the curriculum and
get students ready for external examinations. This makes teaching of Physics
inadequate as special approach needed for the teaching of difficult Physics
concepts are overlooked. Learners therefore find the subject irrelevant to
their daily experience and survival needs in their socio-cultural and economic
environment. Ezeliora (2013) also attributes students’ poor performances in
Physics to poor instructional approaches involving excessive teacher-talk,
copying of notes, rote learning as encouraged by expository method of
instruction. Poor instructional approach is therefore recognized as a major
contributor to poor achievement in Physics. Nnaka (2016), Nzewi (2010),
Okebukola (2012) suggest a shift and going beyond the lecture approaches of
teaching Science, Technology and Mathematics, (STM) for better performance and
interest in STM education in the primary and secondary schools. Shifting and
going beyond the lecture teaching approaches according to Nnaka (2016), implies
adopting the innovative approaches to teaching and learning STM. Physics can be
taught in secondary schools using an innovative teaching technique such as
cooperative and competitive.
Achievement is a term used to indicate the degree of success
attained in some general or
specific area. Obodo (2018) stated that achievement is the extent or degree of
attainment of
students in tasks, courses, or programmes to which they were sufficiently
exposed. Anene (2015) asserted that achievement is quantified by a measure of
the student’s academic standing in relation to those of other students of his
age. Students’ achievement connotes performance in school subject as symbolised
by a score or mark on a test or examination. Information gathered from the
schools in the study area shows that Physics is among the subjects students
experience difficulty in understanding and assimilating its content because of
its abstract nature. This leads to low achievement level of students in examinations
involving the concepts because the students are not sufficiently challenged to
be at the centre of instruction through carrying out activities. The lecture
teaching techniques used by the teachers such as planned repetition,
demonstration, use of examples, questioning among others could not help
increase the achievement level of students in Physics. Cooperative learning is
the deliberate instructional use of small groups of students who work together
to maximize each other’s’ learning. Cooperative learning is theoretically based
on the work of psychologists like Levi Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner
among others who propose that children actively construct knowledge in a social
context (Conway, 2017). The teacher therefore should create room for
cooperation amongst students for effective cross-fertilization of ideas and
knowledge sharing. No child learns effectively in isolation. The teacher, who
adopts the cooperative learning strategy, organizes the students in small
groups of between four to six members. Each group should be heterogeneous in
ability and sociocultural background; members work jointly through a given
instructional assignment until every member successfully understands, and
completes the assignment. The students are rewarded in their groups.
Cooperative learning is a strategy in which students in a group work together
to achieve success. Kagan (2011) stated that cooperative learning is a
successful learning strategy in which small teams, each with students of
different ability using a variety of learning activities to improve their
understanding of a subject. According to Akinbobola (2016) cooperative learning
is a learning strategy in which students of different levels of ability work
together in small groups to achieve a purpose. Fraser, Anderson and Weberg
(2011) asserted that cooperative learning is an instructional use of small
groups that will allow students to work together to maximise their own and each
other’s learning. Kort (2012) stated that students in a group interact with one
another, share ideas and information, seek additional information and make
decisions about their findings to their class. Kort (2012) further stated that
cooperative learning allows students to work collaboratively in small groups
and also gives them the opportunity to verbalise what they know and consider
each other’s view point. A suggestion by Okebukola (2012) is that in using
cooperative learning strategy, the learners’ environment kindles the
improvement of students in their cognitive and emotional learning. Seweje and
Olojo(2011) stated that although students learn in groups, they are evaluated
individually on the learning they have achieved. Under cooperative learning,
students work in small heterogeneous groups of three to five, with members of
the same group helping one another to accomplish a given task. Heterogeneity in
grouping can be achieved by combining students of different sexes, academic
ability levels, ages, religion, among others. This will enable the students get
beyond their initial stereotype and be able to treat each other as fellow group
members. Students may be more positive about each other when they learn
cooperatively than when they learn alone. Hence, the need for the study to
investigates the effect of cooperative learning strategy on students’
achievement in Physics.
Competitive learning is a strategy in which individual students
work for his her own
benefit and success. Competitive learning is one in which students could work
against each other to achieve a good grade (Johnson & Johnson, 2019).
Competitive learning according to Bitrus (2014) is a learning strategy in which
students study independently and tries to learn the materials better than
others in the class without discussing the learning task with other students
but only seek assistance from the teacher (an individual who is trained to
impact what is worthwhile to the students in a school setting). Seweje and
Olojo (2011) stated that our present educational system is based upon
competition among students for grades, social recognition, scholarships and
admission to top schools. The authors further stated that in our society and
within the present educational framework, competition is valued over
cooperation. In competitive learning, students study independently and try to
learn the materials better than others in the class. They (students) wage a
“win-lose” struggle to be the best. This invariably leads to poor
inter-personal relationship between the students, impedes team building and
development of higher-level thinking skills. The study tends to investigate the
effect of competitive learning strategy used in secondary schools by the
students in learning Physics on their achievement in Physics.
Gender is a term used to differentiate between male and female.
Okeke (2017) stated that
gender is a socially ascribed attribute which differentiates feminine from
masculine. The term gender according to Akanbi (2013) is used to describe the
biological sexual characteristics by which we identify females from males.
Awolanti and Abimbola (2017) stated that gender influence can affect students’
achievement in any learning activity. Thus, research is needed to determine
whether the use of cooperative and competitive learning strategies would have
differential effects on male and female students’ achievement in Physics.
Hence, the need for the study.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Poor students’ achievement in Physics is alarming inspite of the
fact that many researches have been carried out to ameliorate the bad situation
(Abdullahi, 2012). Many instructional approaches have been proffered by
psychologists like Brunner, Peaget, Gagne, Ausubel for improved achievement in
Physics and other sciences. Amaefula (2019) and Njoku(2014) strongly believed
that the instructional approach adopted by Physics teacher in teaching Physics
is to a large extent responsible for the observed consistent poor achievement
in Physics. The learning strategy exposed to the students could also be a
contributing factor to their poor performances. These poor academic
achievements of students lead to lack of motivation by the teachers to teach
further and the much needed environmental development through sustainability
and preservation of world biodiversity of Nigeria will remain a wishful
thinking until the inherent problems are identified and remedied.
The lecture teaching method lack students’ cooperation and
competition required for effective learning of Physics concepts. Adequate
students’ cooperation and interactions are required for over learning and transfer
of learning in Physics concepts, which are mainly difficult, and abstract
(Nzewi, 2010). Such cooperation and interaction are found in the cooperative
learning and competitive teaching strategies. The problem of this study was to
find if effective instructional approach such as cooperative and competitive
strategies can improve students’ achievement in Physics. In more specific
terms, the problem of the study was: What are the effects of cooperative
and competitive learning strategy on the achievement of senior
secondary schools Physics students in Abia State?
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of
cooperative and competitive
learning strategies on academic achievement of secondary school physics students
in Abia State. Specifically, the study sought to;
1.
Determine the
mean achievement scores of students taught Physics with cooperative learning
strategy and those taught with lecture method.
2.
Determine the
mean achievement scores of students taught Physics with competitive learning
strategy and those taught with lecture method.
3.
Determine the
mean achievement scores of students taught Physics with cooperative learning
strategy and those taught with competitive learning strategy.
4.
Determine the
influence of gender on the mean achievement scores of students taught Physics
with cooperative and competitive learning strategies and conventional lecture
method
5.
Determine the
influence of gender on the mean achievement scores of students taught Physics
with cooperative and competitive learning strategies.
6.
Determine the
interaction effect of gender and the learning strategies on students’
achievement in Physics.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The study was guided by the following
research questions:
1.
What are the
mean achievement scores of students taught Physics with cooperative learning
strategy and those taught with lecture method?
2.
What are the
mean achievement scores of students taught Physics with competitive learning
strategy and those taught with lecture method?
3.
What is the mean
achievement scores of students taught Physics with cooperative learning
strategy and those taught with competitive learning strategy?
4.
What is the
influence of gender on the mean achievement scores of students taught Physics
with cooperative and conventional lecture method?
5.
What is the
influence of gender on the mean achievement scores of students taught
Physics with competitive learning strategies and conventional lecture method?
6.
What is the
interaction effect of gender and the learning strategies on students’
achievement in Physics?
1.5 NULL HYPOTHESES
The following null hypotheses formulated were
tested at 0.05 level of significance:
1.
There
is no significant difference between the mean achievement scores of students taught Physics with
cooperative learning strategy and those taught with lecture method.
2.
There
is no significant difference between the mean achievement scores of students taught Physics with
competitive learning strategy and those taught with lecture method.
3.
There
is no significant difference between the mean achievement scores of students taught Physics with
cooperative learning strategy and those taught with competitive learning
strategy.
4.
There
is no significant difference between the mean achievement scores of male and
female
students taught Physics with cooperative learning strategy
and lecture method.
5.
There
is no significant difference between the mean achievement scores of male and
female
students taught Physics with competitive learning strategy
and lecture method.
6.
There
is no significant interaction effect of gender and learning strategies on
students’ mean achievement scores in Physics.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The results of the study will be beneficial to teachers, students,
curriculum planners,
researchers and theorists.
Practically, the study will be of immense benefit to secondary
school teachers in the study area. The mean achievement scores of students
taught Physics using cooperative learning and those taught with competitive
learning identified by this study will enlighten the teachers on which of the
learning strategies (cooperative and competitive) will improve students’
achievement in Physics. Such knowledge will help the teachers to improve on the
learning strategies which they involve students to learn.
Additionally, the effect of gender on mean achievement scores of
students taught Physics using cooperative and competitive learning strategies
identified by this study will also be of benefit to secondary school teachers
in the study area. The result will hopefully enable the teachers to be aware of
gender influence on the achievement of students taught Physics with the two
learning strategies. The knowledge will help the teachers to improve their
instructional delivery in order to bridge the gap between male and female
students’ achievement in Physics.
The findings of this study will also be useful to students in
secondary school. The
students will benefit from the result of the study by getting a better
understanding of Physics concepts since it will be presented in hierarchical
order (from simple to complex).
This in effect, will enable students acquire knowledge of the environment. The
students will be able to work more cooperatively to achieve higher cognitive
skills like critical thinking and problem solving to enable them tackle
societal problems.
The findings from the study will be made available to the school
through curriculum planners after the work has been published and recognised
for inclusion in the schools. Curriculum planners will also benefit from the
findings of this study. The findings will provide empirical evidence for
curriculum planners on the effectiveness of the learning strategies
(cooperative and competitive) in teaching Physics in senior secondary school.
The information will hopefully influence future trend in Physics curriculum
development and implementation.
The findings of this study may benefit researchers by helping them
to identify the learning strategy that can be used to improve learning in
Physics which will serve as a valuable reference material in school libraries
for further research in Physics or other discipline.
Theoretically, the findings of the study will provide supportive
evidences to constructivist
social learning theory and cognitive learning theory. Constructivist social
learning theory was propounded by Lev Vygotsky in 1978. The theory states that
human beings learn through our interactions and communications with others.
This theory supports the cooperative learning strategy where students in a
group interact and work together to achieve success. Cognitive learning theory
was propounded by Gagne in 1985. The theory states that learning tasks for intellectual
skills can be organized in hierarchy according to complexity. This theory
supports teaching technique which organizes ideas hierarchically from simple to
complex. The findings of the study will assist to substantiate the claims of
these theories.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study focused on the effects of
cooperative and competitive learning strategies on academic
achievement of senior
secondary school Physics students' in Abia
State. The study covered Umuahia Education zone of Abia State. The study
delimited to fundamental and derived quantities/units, dimension
of physical quantities, motion and friction. This is because, these are topics
stipulated to be taught in senior secondary one (SS1) Physics curriculum.
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