ABSTRACT
This study investigated the effects of Know-Want-Learn (KWL) metacognitive learning strategy on secondary school students’ academic achievement and retention in chemistry in Calabar Education Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria. The study adopted a quasi-experimental research design involving pretest, post-test, non-equivalent control groups. Sample of the study comprised 292 SSII chemistry students drawn from the population of 6,643 students in Calabar Educational Zone of Cross River State using purposive sampling technique. Electrochemistry Achievement Test (EAT) was used as instrument to obtain data for this study with reliability coefficient value of 0.72 using Kuder- Richardson’s formula (KR)-20. Ten (10) research questions were posed and addressed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation. Also, 10 hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 levels of significance using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) as statistical tool. The results of the test analysis showed that: (i) there was a significant difference between the mean achievement scores of the students taught electrochemistry using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy and those taught using conventional lecture method, (ii) there was a significant difference between the mean retention scores of the students taught electrochemistry using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy and those taught using conventional lecture method, (iii) there was no significant difference between the mean achievement scores of male and female students taught electrochemistry using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy, (iv) there was no significant difference between the mean retention scores of male and female students taught electrochemistry using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy, (v) there was a significant difference between the mean achievement scores of urban and rural school students taught electrochemistry using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy, (vi) there was a significant difference between the mean retention scores of urban and rural school students taught electrochemistry using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy, (vii) there was a significant interaction effect of school location and teaching strategies on students’ mean achievement scores in electrochemistry, (viii) there was no significant interaction effect of school location and teaching strategies on students’ mean retention scores in electrochemistry.(ix) there was no significant interaction effect of gender and teaching strategies on students’ mean achievement scores in electrochemistry.(x) there was no significant interaction effect of gender and teaching strategies on students’ mean retention scores in electrochemistry. Based on these findings, conclusion was drawn and some recommendations were made to include among others that government and stakeholders in education should regularly organize workshops, seminars and conferences to update knowledge and enlighten science teachers towards embracing some newly innovative teaching strategies. This would enhance students’ learning outcomes in any school’s teaching subject.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Title
Page i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgments v
Table
of Contents vii
List
of Tables xi
Abstract
xiii
CHAPTER 1:
INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background
to the Study 1
1.2 Statement
of the Problem 18
1.3 Purpose
of the Study 20
1.4 Research
Questions 21
1.5 Hypotheses
22
1.6 Significance
of the Study 23
1.7 Scope
of the Study 25
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW
OF RELATED LITERATURE 26
2.1 Conceptual
Framework 26
2.1.1 Overview
of Know-Want-Learn (KWL) instructional strategy 26
2.1.2 Metacognition and KWL metacognitive
strategy. 33
2.1.3 Advance organizer and its relationship with
KWL chart instructional
strategy 39
2.1.4 Electrochemistry and KWL metacognitive
instructional strategy 43
2.1.5 Academic achievement and retention ability
of students in teaching-
learning
process 48
2.1.6. The retention ability of students in teaching – learning process 50
2.2 Theoretical Framework 55
2.2.1 Albert Bandura’s social learning theory
(1977) 55
2.2.2 David Ausubel’s “Subsumption” theory of
meaningful learning and
retention
(1962) 59
2.2.3 Jerome
Bruner’s theory of discovery learning (1957) 64
2.3 Empirical
Studies 69
2.3.1 Students’ gender, academic performance and
retention in science
(chemistry) 69
2.3.2 Classroom interactions and students’
academic achievement
and
retention ability 78
2.3.3 School
location, academic performance and retention ability of students 81
2.4 Summary
of Literature Review 89
CHAPTER 3:
RESEARCH METHOD 92
3.1 Design
of the Study 92
3.2 Area
of the Study 93
3.3 Population
of the Study 94
3.4 Sample
and Sampling Procedure 95
3.5 Instruments
for Data Collection 96
3.6 Validation
of the Instrument 97
3.7 Reliability
of the Instrument 97
3.8 Method
of Data Collection 98
3.8.1 Experimental
procedure 98
3.8.2 Scoring
of instrument 100
3.8.3 Control
of extraneous variables 100
3.9 Method
of Data Analysis 102
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS
AND DISCUSSIONS 103
4.1 Results
103
4.2 Hypothesis
111
4.2.1 Major findings of the study 121
4.3
Discussion of Findings 123
4.3.1 Effect
of treatment (KWL metacognitive instructional strategy) on mean
academic achievement score of students in chemistry. 123
4.3.2 Effect
of treatment (teaching using KWL metacognitive instructional
strategy) on mean
retention score of students in chemistry.
124
4.3.3 Effect
of treatment (teaching using KWL metacognitive strategy) on
male
and female students’ mean academic achievement score in chemistry.125
4.3.4 Effect
of treatment (teaching using KWL strategy) on male and female
students’ mean retention score in chemistry. 126
4.3.5 Influence
of school location on academic achievement of students in
chemistry when
exposed to treatment 128
4.3.6 Influence
of school location on students’ mean retention score in
electrochemistry
when exposed to treatment 130
4.3.7 Interaction
effect of school location on students’ mean academic achievement
in
chemistry when exposed to teaching using KW metacognitive
Instructional
Strategy and conventional lecture method. 132
4.3.8 Interaction
effect of school location on students’ retention in chemistry
when exposed to
teaching using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy
and conventional
lecture method. 133
4.3.9 Interaction
effect of gender and teaching strategy on students’ achievement
score in chemistry. 135
4.3.10 Interaction
effect of gender and teaching strategy on students’
retention score in chemistry. 136
CHAPTER
5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 138
5.1
Summary of the Study 138
5.2
Conclusion 140
5.3
Recommendations 141
5.4
Limitations of the Study 142
5.5
Suggestions for Further Studies
143
References
Appendices
LIST OF TABLES
1: KWL Chart 29
4.1.1: Mean
achievement gain and standard deviation of students in
electrochemistry. 103
4.1.2:
Mean retention gain and standard
deviation of students in
electrochemistry. 104
4.1.3: Mean
and standard deviation of males and females achievement
gain in electrochemistry. 105
4.1.4:
Mean and standard deviation of male and
female students’ retention
score in electrochemistry. 105
4.1.5: Mean achievement gain and standard deviation
of urban and rural
students’ score in electrochemistry.
106
4.1.6: Mean retention gain and standard deviation of
urban and rural
students’ score in electrochemistry. 107
4.1.7: Mean
scores and standard deviation of urban and rural students’
score from EXG and COG in electrochemistry. 108
4.1.8: Mean
retention gain and standard deviation of urban and rural
students from COG and EXG in
electrochemistry. 109
4.1.9:
Mean achievement gain score and standard
deviation of male and
female students from COG and EXG in
electrochemistry. 110
4.1.10: Mean retention gain score and standard
deviation of male and
female students in electrochemistry.
111
4.2.1 Analysis
of covariance (ANCOVA) for COG and EXG students’
mean achievement score in electrochemistry. 112
4.2.2: Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) for COG and
EXG students’ mean retention scores
in electrochemistry. 113
4.2.3: Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) for male and
female students in electrochemistry
taught using KWL strategy. 114
4.2.4: Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) for male and
female students’
mean retention scores in
electrochemistry. 115
4.2.5:
Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) for
school location and students’ mean achievement
scores in electrochemistry using KWL instructional strategy. 116
4.2.6: Analysis
of covariance (ANCOVA) for school location and students’ mean retention scores when using KWL
metacognitive instructional strategy. 117
4.2.7
Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) of
school location and instructional
strategies on students’ mean
achievement scores in electrochemistry. 118
4.2.8: Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) of teaching
strategies and school
location on students’ mean retention scores in electrochemistry. 119
4.2.9: Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) of gender and
teaching strategies on
students’ mean achievement scores
in electrochemistry. 120
4.2.10:
Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) of gender and teaching strategies
on students’ mean retention scores
in electrochemistry. 121
CHAPTER
1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The study of chemistry, like all
other sciences, requires active participation of students in knowledge-driven activities.
It involves thought-provoking processes and a collective application of science
process skills in all its ramifications. These skills pertain to reasoning,
creativity and innovation, collaborations, communication, curiosity and
imagination, analytical and critical thinking, accessing and analyzing
information in order to solve collective or individual problems of life (Akpan,
2015). This is because Chemistry has tremendously impacted positive values on
all facets of human life and existence. The impact of chemistry is felt in
everyday living to the extent that, it has brought economic development and
social benefits to all mankind in all ramifications (Ojokuku, 2010). As one of
the science subjects taught in school and at different levels, chemistry has incredibly
played important roles towards the advancement and development of scientific
and technological products and tools for human consumptions at both internal
and the global arena (Akpan, 2016). This feat has been made possible through connecting
the globalized world with amazing chemical products and processes. It has also
galvanized the entirety of the global science community with knowledge of
chemical products and processes. These chemical products and processes have
been put to use many years ago and are still being used often in recent times
by one common but great community referred to as “Scientific Community” (Nwoji,
2015:65).
Science and technology have opened
many essential ways to modern methods of Agriculture, improved health care
services and conditions of human life, made travel easier, safer, faster and
much more efficient. These benefits are evidenced in improved food production
and storage facilities, clothing and textiles, housing, transportation, drugs,
relaxations and many others, courtesy of the knowledge of chemistry and other
allied sciences (Akpan, 2010).
In Nigeria, secondary school students
are introduced to the study of chemistry at the first year of senior secondary one
(SS1) education level. This is because it forms the fundamentals in science. As
one of the cardinal objectives contained in National Policy on Education (FGN,
2014), the knowledge of Chemistry help to equip students with the necessary skills
required to live comfortably in the modern age of science and technology.
Therefore, Chemistry is reliably serving as a medium through which science and
technology strive and interact with each other globally in order to bring about
development in the society. Science and technology are requisite for each other
and indeed midwifed by chemistry. This means that the science in chemistry provides
the gateway to technology just as technology is reliably dependent on
scientific products and processes initiated by Chemistry (Achimugu, 2011). This
shows the close interdependency and interwoven relationship between science and
technology in relation to chemistry and all its activities. These relationships
are established through the knowledge of chemistry as depicted in chemical
changes and processes involving chemical reactions.
Chemical changes and processes are seen
at all times around in our everyday activities. Lighting a match-stick from
match-boxes, cooking, burning firewood, making or tapping palm-wine, fading of
rings, necklaces, bangles and braces, rusting of nails and roofing sheets, and
so on involved chemical changes. Most of the objects we interact with and often
see, feel, smell, hear and taste around do make use of chemical activities involving
chemical processes. Soaps and detergents for cleaning, hair- and skin creams
and perfumes for grooming, plastics for a wider variety of purposes, and many
others are some examples of chemistry processes in action (Nnoli, 2016). By
implications, Chemistry has made life worth living through the provisions of a
variety of chemical products that are made available for use by mankind. Hence,
its importance cannot be over emphasized.
Chemistry occupies a prominent
position in the education system of many developed and developing countries of
the world. Aniodoh and Egbo (2014) submitted that Chemistry education is a
necessary ingredient for any nation to become self-reliant, earn a better-living
condition for her citizens and contribute positively towards building as many
as possible a variety of sustainable national development projects. Therefore,
Chemistry breeds a variety of chemical products for use and these obviously
constitute the spice of life. These products are made through chemical
processes.
In many of these chemical processes,
energy is substantially involved either directly or indirectly. Man needs
energy to perform all activities of life; firewood, gas or kerosene to cook,
electrical cookers, boiling rings or heaters, all use energy to perform their
functions effectively. We use quite a great deal of energy to propel our
automobiles. The air conditioners, electric-fans and other essential
recreational gadgets of life such as, the television and video, the radio and
compact-disk players, home theatre, car battery and lead-acid accumulator, all
can only work effectively, when energy is supplied or input into them.
Electricity is generated often from the chemical reactions involving
electrochemistry, hence, electrochemical reactions (Ojokuku, 2010).
Electrochemistry is a branch of
chemistry that deals essentially with chemical changes that often generate
energy. Its chemical operations yield products with chemical values that are useful
for mankind. Evidences abound in our everyday life and activities (Achimugu,
2011). The production of energy from chemical reactions plays diverse major
roles in our environment. This means that our environment and its chemical
activities are sacrosanct. This, according to Yousuo (2005), implies electrochemistry
remains predominantly a crucial aspect of chemistry for the production of
chemical energy, via electricity, upon which chemistry stands. Yet, students
still find it difficult to express and explain quantitative problems and
concepts involving electrochemistry, particularly, those involving calculations
such as in electrolysis, balancing of ionic/redox equations and so on.
The Federal Ministry of Education
(FME, 2014), reviewed the National
Chemistry Curriculum for Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria and identified
three (3) aspects which specifically are classified as core electrochemistry
concepts:
(i) Redox reactions
(ii) Ionic theory and
(iii) Electrolysis.
These are to be taught in chemistry in the secondary
schools. The above effort was then complimented by Nigerian Educational
Research and Development Council (NERDC) as contained in a reviewed chemistry
curriculum for senior secondary schools which is currently in use today in
Nigeria. These core aspects of electrochemistry should, therefore, be properly
taught by teachers at school for easy understanding of students.
Unfortunately, these aspects of
chemistry appear not so well taught at schools. This is evidenced in the West
African Examinations Council (WAEC) Chief Examiner’s Reports (2005 – 2017) which
have persistently revealed the poor performance of students in chemistry
examinations over the years. More so, as it concern those who make attempts on answering
electrochemistry questions. The reports have continually emphasized that
students have been performing too woeful, discouraging and uninspiring at
electrochemistry questions over the years. Therefore, the so disappointing poor
performance of students in chemistry as contained in the reports suggests that many
students do not understand the questions clearly and so make wrong attempts at
solving the problems. The Chief Examiner’s reports emphatically specified that only
few candidates (students) make attempts to answer electrochemistry question and
they do so, most probably, with dread and fear. This is because many of the
questions on electrochemistry concepts are either usually skipped by many
students or poorly answered while, some are either half or partly solved as the
case may be. This shows clearly that students, perhaps, do not have proper
understanding or grasp of electrochemistry concepts taught at school.
Consequently, the performances in chemistry at the Ordinary Level West African
Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (O/L WASSCE) have continued to remain
generally poor because electrochemistry questions have always featured in the
examinations. One strategy of addressing students’ poor performance in
chemistry is to ensure that electrochemistry concepts are well taught and
properly understood. This may be better done by using effective teaching
strategies that would enable the students to make meaning of what they learn.
Although as vital as electrochemistry concepts
are, the widespread studies (Njoku, 2007; Ojokuku and Amadi, 2010; Obumanu and
Ekenobi, 2011) have established that both teachers and students find it
difficult to teach and learn, respectively, electrochemistry concepts. Corroborating
this assertion, Yousuo (2005) reported that many secondary school students do often
approach the study of electrochemistry with dread and fear. Sadly, this tense
and fraught relationship with electrochemistry have reached the extent that these
category of students in Calabar Education Zone of Cross River State still wonder
why electrochemistry unit is part of the chemistry curriculum for secondary
schools. Their alleged fears and negative perception about the difficulty in understanding
electrochemistry concepts have translated to the observed relatively poor achievement
in chemistry. This ugly situation about the fear, difficulty and failure in
chemistry by students have remained unabated in schools (as observed in both
internal and external examinations) within Calabar Education Zone of Cross
River State, Nigeria (Nja, 2012; Nja, Kalu and Neji, 2015). Therefore, there is
need for alternative but appropriate teaching strategies that may enhance
academic performance of students as well as retention of knowledge in
electrochemistry; and thereby, guarantee their positive feelings about the
subject-Chemistry.
Calabar Education Zone of Cross River
State seems to be worse hit by this failure. It is evidenced as seen in Appendix 2 which clearly,
shows a reflection of the common observations in many schools today in Calabar
Education Zone of Cross River State, to find as many students as possible, who
can hardly express themselves clearly and correctly in terms of
electrochemistry concepts taught at school. The situation has obviously become very
worrisome hence, allowing what informed this study to ponder over these
questions: Are the secondary school teachers teaching the electrochemistry
aspects of chemistry effectively, in ways and manner that guarantees students’
good understanding or grasping of electrochemistry terms and concepts taught?
And in ways that make for students to obtain high grades in relation to achievement
and retention at tests and examinations? How adequately and effectively has
electrochemistry concepts been taught for students’ proper grasping or understanding?
These questions beckon for answer in this study. Hence, teaching for
understanding and effective delivery of electrochemistry lessons has become a
necessity in schools. This is so because teachers’ effective delivery of
electrochemistry concepts in schools may be achieved, by using innovative instructional
strategies. One of which is the use of Know –Want –Learn (KWL) metacognitive instructional
strategy. This strategy, perhaps, may empower any student (learner) to take
charge of his/or her own learning in a more highly meaningful fashion than the
conventional “talk and discussion” – method, commonly referred to as “lecture
method” (Ogle, 2009). The KWL metacognitive instructional strategy which has
not been sufficiently applied and adequately investigated in the context of
electrochemistry or chemistry as a whole may involve the students’ active
participation in classroom activities and perhaps, enhance their academic achievement
and retention in chemistry.
Besides, electrolysis as taught at
school as a concept in electrochemistry is used industrially in extraction and
electroplating of metals in order to improve on their quality and durability,
beauty and aesthetic values, as well as to prevent rusting or corrosion
(Prescott, 2017). Electrolysis is also used in large scale production of heavy
chemicals, such as Sodium hydroxide, Sodium-trioxochlorate (v), Chlorine and
many others. These heavy chemicals
are used for production of fine
chemicals and many other varieties of products used in daily activities of
life, such as disinfectants, herbicides, pesticides, plastics, analytical
reagents, confectionaries among others. These products are useful to mankind in
their various capacities and values (Akpuaka, 2009). Therefore, effective
teaching and understanding of electrochemistry concepts, using innovative
teaching methods and strategies are advocated for this study.
Ojokuku and Amadi (2010) had earlier
affirmed that the awareness of the relevance of chemistry and its associated
concepts are usually achievable through using innovative strategies for effective
teaching at school. Unfortunately, this has not been so in recent times. Therefore,
the general poor performance in chemistry by students can only be resolved
through using innovative strategies that could prove productive in Nigeria. To
do otherwise, according to Njoku and Akwali
(2016), Nwoji (2015), Nja (2012), Obomanu and Ekenobi (2011) is to
further engage students in a cycle of use of inappropriate instructional
strategies and the attainment of poor grades at the level of education. Apparently,
it is not a healthy development in Nigerian education system and should hence,
be addressed.
Research findings (Jegede, 2007;
Njoku, 2007; Okeke, 2011; Oloyede, 2011; Okereke and Onwukwe, 2011; Aniodo and
Egbo, 2014; Nja, Kalu and Neji, 2015; Ekemobi and Mumuni, 2015; Njoku and
Akwali, 2016) have attributed students’ poor academic achievement and retention
scores in chemistry to inappropriate teaching strategies adopted by chemistry
teachers in school. This suggests also, that adoption of appropriate teaching
strategies may enhance students’ performance and retention of knowledge in a
variety of school subjects.
The KWL strategy which was first
developed and introduced by Donna M. Ogle in 1986 as a teaching-learning strategy
is designed in form of a chart and consists of three columns for ensuring meaningful
learning of concepts taught at school. Indeed, KWL is simply an acronym for
what I know (K), what I want (W) to know, what I learned (L). The KWL chart as earlier
mentioned may get students (or learners) actively engaged in bridging the
organized information gathered for each column of the chart. Each column of the
chart is specifically designed to: (i) access previous knowledge in the
K-column (ii) determine what one wants (W) to know in the W- column (iii)
recall what was learned (L) in the L- column. The chart is a form of graphic
advance organizer that makes students to learn meaningfully, construct their
knowledge/or experiences independently and taking charge of their own learning
(Ogle, 1986, 2005 and 2009; Szabo, 2007; Khiara, 2015; Zouhor, Bogdanovic and
Segedinac, 2016). This strategy originated from Ausubel’s (1960 and 1963) ‘subsumption’
and assimilation theory of cognitive learning that used advance organizers for
meaningful learning (Ogle, 2009; Kumari and Jinto, 2014; Lou and Xu, 2016; Ni,
Rohadi and Alfana, 2016). The theory is based on the ideas that meaningful
learning occurs when new knowledge is consciously, explicitly and deliberately
linked with relevant concepts which the learner (student) already knows. In
other words, KWL instructional strategy draws origin from the works of David Ausubel’s
(1960) use of advance organizers to provide linkage or bridge that loops
learning via the constructivism movement. Constructivists hold views that prior
knowledge is used as a framework to link the learning of concepts with new
knowledge. In essence, how one thinks influences how and what he/or she learns
(Ogle, 2009). The KWL instructional strategy
has been used by teachers to guide students through a text, demonstrations,
discussions, illustrations, explanations, brainstorming, experimentations in
classroom settings, and for activating their prior knowledge towards active
participation in learning.
Many studies (Szabo, 2007; Siribunam and
Tayraukham, 2009; Al-Ataie, 2010; Zhang, 2010; Bojovic, 2010; Ibrahim, 2012; Alshatti
and Watters, 2012; Kumari and Jinto, 2014; Riswanto and Lis Mayanti, 2014;
Chanakan, 2015; Khaira, 2015; Lou and Xu, 2016; Zouhor, Bogdanovic and
Segedinac, 2016) on KWL instructional strategy supports student-centered
learning. This is because it increased understanding based on the design to
inspire students’ inquiry and activate their prior knowledge towards taking control
of their own thinking and learning activities in Science, Art and Humanities (Szabo,
2007; Khiara, 2015; Zouhor, Bogdanovic and Segedinac, 2016). However, the application
of the KWL instructional strategy have shown conflicting or contradictory
results, either in favour or against its propensity to stimulate greater
understanding and enhance students’ achievement and retention in some school
subjects. For instance, studies of Zhang (2010), Kumari and Jinto (2014),
Chanakan (2015) doubted the efficacy of the strategy with respect to some
crucial factors like differences in school location, sex and social culture.
So, the effectiveness of the strategy in assisting students to learn has not
been clearly, adequately or sufficiently resolved with these contradictions. Therefore,
it will be wrong to conclude hurriedly that KWL metacognitive instructional
strategy has complete potential of enhancing the understanding of students in
the Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities, so convincingly when other
confounding factors are taken into considerations. More so, studies in the application
of KWL strategy are foreign and may not be effectively applied to Nigerian
students with their different socio-cultural background.
These assertions may be further strengthened
by the findings of Yusuf and Adigun (2010), Okereke and Onwukwe (2011) who
observed that school location and gender affects students’ academic performance
in the Sciences. Also, Ezike’s (2000) study on Gender-related differences in
academic achievement of Physics students is a pointer to claims that contradicted
the findings of others like Ezeudu and Obi (2013) who observed that gender and
school location influenced students achievement and retention in chemistry. The
results of these studies showed variance or inconsistency, hence, further
investigations through research is required to resolve the uncertainty over
which instructional learning strategy is more appropriate. Also, Jovinius (2015) investigated the effect
of geographical location of schools on students’ academic performance in Social
Studies and found that school location influenced students’ academic
performance and not their retention ability levels. Therefore, it also requires
further research investigations. Many studies (Owoeye and Yara, 2011; Nja,
2012; Falch, Lujala and Strom, 2013; Nja, Kalu and Neji, 2015) have lay claims
of rural – urban dichotomy in students’ academic achievement and retention of
knowledge to the absence of essential amenities like electricity, portable
water, internet services and qualified teachers in rural schools as compared to
urban areas. Anamezie (2018) reported that many teachers prefer urban to rural
schools because of the availability of these essential amenities. This has
probably brought academic performance and retention differentials, disparity or
differences in mean achievement and retention scores between urban and rural
students irrespective of the instructional strategies or methods adopted by
teachers. This means that the effects of
instructional strategies on students’ achievement and retention of science
concepts seem to differ in several ramifications pertaining to effectiveness,
particularly, as it concerns learning difficult concepts in chemistry at different
school locations. Therefore, further investigation is required through research
to resolve the uncertainty.
Retention and achievement are closely
related because students who perform better academically are assumed to have
retained enough knowledge of content learned recall them swiftly when needed at
examinations or tests (Zaman, Choudhary and Qamar, 2015). Also, Nja, Kalu and
Neji (2015) pointed out that students’ retentive ability is a reflection of
their performance at tests or examinations. Ausubel (1960) referred to
retention ability as the process of maintaining the availability of a replica
of the acquired new meaning of concepts wholly or partly. Anamezie (2018)
defined retention as the capacity to continually hold or behave in a particular
manner what has been learnt. The determinant factor of retention is contingent
upon where information is processed and coded for storage as well as retrieval.
Coded information depends on the method of presentation and meaningfulness of
the information to the learner. Some studies have reported poor retention
ability of students (Okeke, 2011; Nja, 2012) which have shown contradictory
reports with those of Anamezie (2018) and Zaman, Choudhary and Qamar (2015) whose
findings showed enhanced retention ability levels based on the teaching
strategy adopted by the teacher. These contradictions, therefore, emphasizes
the need for further research on teaching methods that could, perhaps, enhance
retention of science concepts taught. The extent to which KWL metacognitive
instructional strategy may eliminate or resolve all these controversies on
gender stereotyping effects and school location, also, form the basis of this
study. Chemistry concepts as a matter of fact cannot be learnt properly by
memorization or rote learning. The ability to remember quickly any information
takes place when experiences (or information) are passed across to the learner
through an appropriate instructional strategy (Nja, Kalu and Neji, 2014). The
task before teachers is to help students improve on their abilities to
assimilate and remember information. Therefore, to effectively and efficiently
understand whatever has been learnt, retention plays important role. Nevertheless,
KWL is a metacognitive instructional strategy that may play important role in
retention of knowledge during its application in the learning process at school.
Metacognition is defined as the
knowledge and control an individual has over his/or her thinking and learning
activities. Metacognition can also be defined as the ability to understand and
monitor one’s own thought processes and the assumptions, as well as, the
implications of one’s owned activities (Flavell, 1979; Kumari and Jinto, 2014; Zakariyya
and Bello, 2018). Therefore, it depicts learners’ cognitive sense of how they
understand any given information and what should be done to control or self-regulate
their cognitive processes. Metacognition describes the degree to which learners
are engaged in thinking about themselves, the nature of learning tasks and the
social interactions/contexts. Metacognition comprised activities for regulating
and monitoring human learning. The human information processing system
according to Yuksel (2012), consist of four elements which are basically:
self-system, the metacognitive system, the cognitive system and the knowledge
system. All these systems work harmoniously and simultaneously with the
cognitive theories to bring understanding of any concept taught in school.
However, the components metacognition are categorized into goal specification,
process specification, process monitoring and disposition monitoring (Yuksel,
2012). In summary, metacognition consist of planning, monitoring, evaluating
and revising. A meta-analysis of different metacognitive strategies conducted
by Kumari and Jinto (2014) was found to take different forms or shapes which
included: (i) chunking, (ii) framing, (iii) concept mapping, (iv) use of
metaphor, (v) use of advance organizers, (vi) rehearsing, (vii) use of imagery,
(viii) use of mnemonics. The KWL metacognitive instructional strategy belongs
to the subset of the uses of advance organizer in metacognitive learning. This
is because it involves concerted efforts and commitment towards bridging ideas meaningfully
by linking prior knowledge with new ideas in organized forms that brings in the
understanding. That meaningful information is required for completing the respective
columns in the chart (Ogle, 2005 and 2009). The process of engagement and activities
performed by each individual while filling information into the respective columns
of the chart, would serve as a bridging medium of ideas between a new idea and
the existing ideas in the learner’s frame of reference. This medium plays an
orienting and subsuming role in relation to later presented element of ideas in
such a unique metacognitive manner for understanding to be achieved (Ogle, 2009).
Therefore, KWL metacognitive
instructional strategy may present electrochemistry concepts meaningfully to
students and enhance their achievement and retention of knowledge in chemistry.
Specifically, the strategy may facilitate easy learning of perceived difficult electrochemistry
concepts by students and quicken their understanding of the concepts taught. Through
effective use of KWL instructional chart, students’ prior knowledge may be
activated to grasp fully concepts taught and keep them always thinking critically,
rationally and creatively. In doing so, students become more actively involved in
the learning process by participating in the class activities. This is because students
may continuously ask questions on areas, issues, terms or concepts that appear seemingly
unclear or confusing and thereafter, learn from their interactions made.
Unfortunately, many chemistry
teachers in recent times are not teaching in the like manner for students to
enhance their achievement in chemistry. For instance, as shown or illustrated in
the WASSCE results of 2005 to 2017 in Calabar Education Zone of Cross River
State (See Appendix 2). Generally, students’ poor performance in chemistry has
been attributed partly to inappropriate teaching strategies adopted by
secondary school teachers in the subject (Nja, 2012; Nja, Kalu and Neji, 2015; Ekemobi
and Mumuni, 2015).
A cursory look at West African Senior
Secondary Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) chemistry summary results of Calabar
Education Zone, from 2005 to 2017 show a relatively high percentage failure of
50% and above for each of the years. These are the evidence that supports the
Chief Examiner’s reports (2005 – 2017), which repeatedly emphasized that the learning
outcomes of students in chemistry at WASSCE in some states of Nigeria have remain
appalling and abysmal failure following their poor performance records is a
pointer to such claims. The result suggests
that the strategy adopted by practicing chemistry teachers was probably deficient
in yielding the desired results. This may also be traced to students’ inability
to link meaningfully prior knowledge with the current information to bring
about quick understanding of concepts taught in class as observed in studies (Sharma
and Pachauri, 2016; Riswanto and LisMayanti, 2014; Ibrahim, 2012; Al-Ataie,
2010; Siribunam and Tayraukham, 2009). This meaningful learning, according to
Kalu (2014), occurs when new knowledge is consciously and deliberately linked
with relevant concepts in the learners’ conceptual frameworks. It involves
non-arbitrary, non-verbatim and a substantial incorporation of new knowledge
into the cognitive structure of learner(s). In this regards, the conventional
lecture method usually adopted by teachers may be deficient in addressing this
problem of failure in chemistry. Therefore, student’s cognitive frameworks may
need to be tailored and directed appropriately towards connecting ideas meaningfully
together than the conventional lecture method. Perhaps, the expected enhance students’
achievement and retention of knowledge in chemistry may be realized if the KWL metacognitive
instructional strategy is effectively used.
Retention of information can be
defined as having the information stored in long-term memory in such a way and
manner that it can be readily retrieved to solve a problem or make sense of a
situation in different contexts. The study of retention clearly overlaps with
the study of memory. However, retention differs from memory because information
viewed as being retained must always be recall when appropriate, in response to
prompts such as school examinations or tests and not only in response to
experiential cues (Ausubel, 1960).
The study of retention dates back to
Ebbinghaus’s (1913) study of memory which states that, repeated retrieval
during learning is pivotal to long-term memory or retention. Retention may be facilitated
through categorization and measured by three ways: relearning, recall and
recognition. Therefore, an individual remembers more facts and concepts when
he/or she appropriately categorizes and stores what have been learned. The
world usually makes sense when objects and events are carefully categorized. It
is only when we store what is learn in the appropriate category that retention can
be enhanced (Ebbinghaus, 1913). Students’ ability to retain what was learned is
dependent on these guiding principles enumerated above. Many studies have
reported poor retention of students (Anamezie, 2018; Zaman, Choudhary and
Qamar, 2015; Oloyede, 2011; Okeke, 2011). Therefore, it emphasizes the need for
teaching strategies that could probably enhance retention of electrochemistry
concepts in this study.
Essentially, it is expected that Ogle’s
(2005 and 2009) KWL metacognitive instructional strategy would enhance students’
retention of science concepts because the strategy allows for students to state
or express their views or learning outcomes explicitly in the KWL instructional
chart outlined in three columns: K.W.L-columns. The students would express and enter
their views independently into the separate columns of the KWL chart with
confidence without any fear or reservations. The teacher would thereafter inspect
their write-ups and equally respect their expressed views, feelings and opinions
as contained in the columns. Then, the teacher acts accordingly where and when
necessary to make them understand what is taught or discussed in the classroom.
In doing so, students retain much of what they have learned in the long-term
memory, recall them often and promptly too when required. Memory is the process
of retention or storage depending upon the degree of availability of
information (Ebbinghaus, 1913). In other words, if no information is learnt,
then no memory is conscripted. Memory is the act or process of remembering
previous experiences or the rate at which one can forget previous thoughts and
ideas (Tobias and Everson, 2009; Ebbinghaus, 1913).
One of the fundamental theories of Memory
holds that, memory as one of the 120 factors of intelligence, can best be
described as either good or weak depending on its functional ability
(Ebbinghaus, 1913). Memory is often said to be good when individuals remember
information known before and can recall the information for use at the
appropriate time when required. Whereas, weak memory implied the individual
learnt the material before but finds it difficult to recall, recognize and
relearn it at the required time when due. This forms a problem of metacognition
in students’ learning of concepts in school (Brown, 1978).
When the KWL metacognitive instructional
strategy is effectively applied in learning science (especially,
electrochemistry) concepts at school, it is expected that a significant
educational experience which often operates in every educational event may reasonably
be considered. Also, students would be empowered
to enrich the meaning of their experiences towards the attainment of high
achievement and retention objectives in school. This approach would most
probably be assumed to play vital roles in educating the young minds yearning
for science education, particularly, chemistry from different school locations.
Therefore, students’ active involvement in teaching – learning process would not
only guarantee thinking and acting but would also have feelings of inner
personal satisfaction. This may also lead to attainment of high goals which is a
permanent reflection in their achievement and retention gain scores at tests
and examinations irrespective of sex differences (Akpan, 2018).
The effects of school location, gender
and teaching strategies on achievement and retention of knowledge among
students have been an issue of previous researches. Unfortunately, no
consistent results have emerged. It was reported from studies (Nja, 2012;
Kumari and Jinto, 2014) that while gender and school location have no
significant influence on achievement and retention of knowledge in Chemistry
and Social Science respectively, Oludipe (2012), Orji, Chiagoziem, Matthew and
Ndidi (2018) reported otherwise on the same subject matter with respect to achievement
in Basic Science and Physics. These inconsistencies emphasized the need for
re-examining the interaction effects of instructional strategies, gender,
school location on achievement and retention of knowledge in electrochemistry.
It is against these backdrops,
perhaps, that the possibility of wide spread research into the use of KWL
metacognitive instructional strategy may produce answer to ameliorate the lingering
problems of students’ poor achievement and retention in chemistry.
Particularly, as it affects the West African Senior Secondary Certificate
Examinations (WASSCE) in Calabar Education Zone of Cross River State,
South-South, Nigeria.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
It has been observed that students’
academic performance in Chemistry at both internal and external examinations in
Cross River State, especially, Calabar Education Zone has been persistently
poor. Specifically, it has been noted that the percentage level of credit level
pass (A1-C6) fell from 32.8% in 2013 to 12.40% in 2017. Stakeholders
in Chemistry education has consequently been on the search for causes of this
poor performance and have invariably searched for ways of ameliorating the ugly
situation. Findings from research studies have revealed that a lot of factors
are contributory to this poor performance. These range from teachers factors to
students and even institutional/environmental factors to mention but a few.
The WASSCE Chief Examiner’s reports
from 2005 to 2017 have been re-emphasizing the need to forestall poor performance
of students in the area of electrochemistry. Available evidence from the
reports showed that students have continually been performing poorly in electrochemistry
aspects of chemistry to the extent that, some questions are either skipped,
partly solved or poorly answered. Hence, attempts made have remained abysmal
and so disappointing to say the least.
Researches have also shown that achievement
and retention of knowledge continued to remain poor in chemistry at both
internal and external examinations. Empirical evidence identified the
difficulty of some concepts in chemistry and inadequate utilization of
appropriate instructional strategies, inability of the students to link or
connect between a new idea and existing ideas in order to make learning become meaningful,
among others, as being responsible for the repeated failure. Students need
access to sets of ideas that can subsume the new material and simultaneously
provide him/her with additional anchors, which may translate into meaningful
results are now far-fetched. Therefore, it suggests that there should be a
change in the style of teaching chemistry which must be followed or accompanied
by an equally innovative change in the style of evaluating the outcomes of
learning electrochemistry. This is with the view to raising the low level
performance in chemistry by secondary school students through investigations
into innovative methods/strategies of teaching and learning electrochemistry
concepts which this study sought to achieve.
Despite the emphasis and recognition
accorded chemistry as a core science subject, underachievement in chemistry as
reported was partly attributed to the use of conventional lecture methods of
teaching which has not been yielding the desired results, thus culminating in the
recorded failures over the years. Chemistry
is a practical oriented science subject that demands for activity-oriented
teaching methods/strategies for its understanding and application.
Unfortunately, chemistry teachers rarely employ any of the activity oriented teaching
methods/strategies that guarantees active students’ participations in class.
This makes students not to understand the subject properly for full grasp and
hence, perform poorly. The researcher is therefore of the opinion that if
appropriate teaching strategies are employed in the teaching of this all
important subject, especially, the difficult concepts like electrochemistry,
students may understand the subject better and perform academically better at
tests and examinations. Hence, the problem of this study put in question form
becomes how would the Know-Want-Learn (KWL) metacognitive instructional strategy:
(i) improve secondary school students’ academic achievement and retention in electrochemistry?
(ii) interact with each of sex and school location on students’ achievement and
retention of knowledge in electrochemistry in Calabar Education Zone of Cross
River State, South-South, Nigeria?
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study was to
investigate the effects of KWL metacognitive instructional strategy on
students’ academic achievement and retention in chemistry. Specifically, the
study sought to determine the:
i. effect
of KWL metacognitive instructional strategy and conventional lecture method on
students’ mean achievement score in
electrochemistry.
ii. effect
of KWL metacognitive instructional strategy and conventional lecture method on
students’ mean retention score in electrochemistry.
iii. mean
achievement scores of male and female students in electrochemistry when taught
using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy.
iv. mean
retention scores of male and female students in electrochemistry when taught
using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy.
v. influence
of school location on students’ mean achievement scores in electrochemistry
when taught using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy.
vi. influence
of school location on students’ mean retention scores in electrochemistry when
taught using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy and those taught using conventional
lecture method.
vii. interaction
effect of school location and teaching strategies on students’ mean academic achievement
scores in electrochemistry.
viii.
interaction effect of
school location and teaching strategies on students’ mean retention scores in
electrochemistry.
ix. interaction
effect of gender and teaching strategies on students’ mean academic achievement
scores in electrochemistry.
x. interaction
effect of gender and teaching strategies on students’ mean retention scores in
electrochemistry.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The
following research questions guided the study.
1. What
is the students’ mean achievement score in electrochemistry when taught using
KWL metacognitive instructional strategy and those taught using conventional
lecture method?
2. What is the students’ mean retention score
in electrochemistry when taught using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy
and those taught using conventional lecture method?
3. What
is the mean achievement scores of male and female students in electrochemistry
when taught using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy?
4. What
is the mean retention scores of male and female students in electrochemistry
when taught using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy?
5. What
is the influence of school location on students’ mean achievement scores in
electrochemistry when taught using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy?
6. What
is the influence of school location on students’ mean retention scores in electrochemistry
when taught using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy?
7. What
is the interaction effect of school location and teaching strategies on
students’ mean achievement scores in electrochemistry?
8. What
is the interaction effect of school location and teaching strategies on
students’ mean retention scores in electrochemistry?
9. What
is the interaction effect of gender and teaching strategies on students’ mean
achievement scores in electrochemistry?
10. What
is the interaction effect of gender and teaching strategies on students’ mean
retention scores in electrochemistry?
1.5 HYPOTHESES
The following null hypotheses were
formulated for the study and tested at 0.05 levels of significance:
1.
There is no significant
difference between the mean achievement scores of students taught electrochemistry
using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy and those taught using
conventional lecture method.
2.
There is no significant
difference between the mean retention scores of students taught electrochemistry
using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy and those taught using
conventional lecture method.
3. There
is no significant difference between male and female students’ mean achievement
scores in electrochemistry when taught using KWL metacognitive instructional
strategy.
4.
There is no significant difference
between male and female students’ mean retention scores in electrochemistry
when taught using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy.
5.
There is no significant
difference in the mean achievement scores of students from urban and those from
rural schools when taught electrochemistry using KWL metacognitive instructional
strategy.
6.
There is no significant difference
in mean retention scores of students from urban and those from rural schools when
taught electrochemistry using KWL metacognitive instructional strategy.
7. There
is no significant interaction effect of school location and teaching strategies
on students’ mean achievement scores in electrochemistry.
8. There
is no significant interaction effect of school location and teaching strategies
on students’ mean retention scores in electrochemistry.
9. There
is no significant interaction effect of gender and teaching strategies on
students’ mean achievement scores in electrochemistry.
10. There
is no significant interaction effect of gender and teaching strategies on
students’ mean retention scores in electrochemistry.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The findings of this study may be of
immense benefits to the students, science teachers, government, curriculum
planners, school administrators and researchers.
When KWL is used in classrooms
teaching, the students’ achievement will improve and they may find the results useful if the findings of the study is
published in academic Journals or presented in seminars and conferences. At such a forum, the use of the KWL
metacognitive instructional strategy may be introduced or expressed and
explained elaborately. This may help “participants” at such forum in connecting
their prior knowledge quite easily with new knowledge taught, expressed or
discussed in order to make for quick understanding of the electrochemistry concepts
as compared to the conventional lecture method. Students may as well consult
widely these academic journals to enrich their knowledge.
The science teachers may also be
assisted from the findings of this study if it is published in journals (both
local and international), conference papers, as well as seminars, in order to
effectively teach with confidence any concept in chemistry perceived to be
abstract or difficult for understanding. This is because every teacher who
attends such conferences and workshops may be engaged either as a participant,
team instructors or students in subject panels or sessional/classroom discussion
groups, where views regarding or pertaining to their encountered difficulties
or complaints are resolved as quickly as possible. In doing so, the stress of
teacher talk usually expressed in conventional lecture method of instructions
during teaching-learning process may be minimized in order to provide direction
towards interactive learning among participants or students.
The findings of this study may be of encouragement
to government and her officials to
enforce implementation of extant laws and policies towards attending conferences
and workshops from research institutes and her allied organs like the
universities if the findings are presented at such fora. This may help to offer
financial support through organized workshops, seminars and conferences for the
training and re-training of teachers on innovative instructional methods that
would serve to enhance students’ academic achievement. The effort put in
attending workshops and conferences would bring together many stakeholders in
education to a round table discussions on productive innovative methods geared
towards maximizing students’ performance especially in areas where problems are
identified. In such a forum, curriculum planners may be in attendance to lend
their support and apparently incorporate many of such innovative teaching
strategies into the nation’s school curriculum and school system. By so doing,
greater awareness of the new strategies would have been generated and efforts
stimulated towards the application of the strategies in classrooms with
efficiency.
The findings of this study may help curriculum
planners to improve upon the curriculum content in terms of their
recommendations for adoption by practicing science (chemistry) teachers in
schools. This may go a long way towards making government come alive and become
more responsive to her responsibilities of equipping teachers with the
necessary conducive environment and enabling tools for acquiring requisite
skills, knowledge and right attitudes to learning.
The school administrators may also be
encouraged through the findings of this study if made public through academic
journal publications or even presented at workshops, seminars and conferences
to develop positive perception towards innovative strategies that would impact
positively on students’ performance at both internal and external examinations.
This may, also, go a long way towards re-awakening interest and motivation to
teach and learn science concepts meaningfully with ease by both teachers and
students from the impetus put up by school administration. Indeed, it behooves
teachers to teach for understanding through guiding students map out their
ideas, relate one idea to another and redirect their thinking towards achieving
meaningful understanding. The use of KWL metacognitive instructional strategy
in this study and its findings may offer platforms for school administrators
and teachers to adopt such and related strategies for the purpose of guiding
their students to learn meaningfully with increasing confidence and dexterity. Pursuance
to this approach and its findings, school administrators may be poised to
embrace and enforce their implications.
Researchers and scholars who browse
internet and research websites may as well benefit from the findings of study
if found in such browser websites to be productive or observed to enhance
academic achievement of students. This is because the study would create awareness
of an innovative teaching strategy that may enhance students’ academic
achievement and retention in school subjects, especially, those perceived as
difficult by teachers and students. Consequently, researcher may wish to
replicate the study in other locations with different subject matter in order
to ascertain the potentiality of the strategy and increase the pool of scientific
knowledge in that regards.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study is
delimited to electrochemistry concepts such as: electrolysis, redox potentials
and electrochemical cells, operations of electrochemical cells and reactions.
These topics were drawn from the SSII National Chemistry Curriculum for Nigeria
students and are scheduled for the schools’ term studies in the Zone. Essentially,
it embraces all the SSII Chemistry Students in both urban and rural areas in
Calabar Education Zone of Cross River State, Nigeria.
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