IMPACT OF PROBLEM SOLVING AND DISCOVERY STRATEGIES ON ATTITUDE, RETENTION AND PERFORMANCE IN GENETICS CONCEPTS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ZARIA, KADUNA STATE NIGERIA

IMPACT OF PROBLEM SOLVING AND DISCOVERY STRATEGIES ON ATTITUDE, RETENTION AND PERFORMANCE IN GENETICS CONCEPTS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ZARIA, KADUNA STATE NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the impact of problemsolving and discovery strategies on attitude, retention and academic performance in genetic concepts among secodnary school students in Zaria, Nigeria. The research design for the study Quasi-experimental and control group involving pretest andposttest. The population of the study consisted of 527, (264 male and 263 female) students. Simple random sampling technique by balloting method was used to select three schools out of five co-educational schools. A sample of three hundred and forty-five (345) secondary school students consisting of 182 male and 163 female students were randomly selected and used for the study. The sample was divided into three groups – experimental and control groups. Both groups were pre-tested before the treatment, and post testedafter treatment. Two instruments were used for gathering data, Genetic Performance Test (GPT) with reliability co-efficient of r=0.87 and Students‟ Attitude to Genetics Questionnaire (SAGQ) with reliability co-efficient of r=0.79. Two statistical tools – Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Kruskal Wallis were used for analysing the data gathered at P≤0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that students taught using problem-solving and discovery strategies performed better than those taught usinglecture method. From the means scores of problemsolving and discovery teaching strategy the problemsolving mean scores was 24.74 while discovery strategy was 25.78 which is the highest mean scores. This shows that discoverystrategy have more impact in enhancing students academic performance in genetics. The same results was obtained in their retention ability and attitude change. However, gender did not affect their performance in anyway in all the teaching strategies. Based on the findings recommendations were made one of which urged biology teachers to use problem-solving and discovery strategies to improve students perforance in teaching genetics genetics at secondary school

IMPACT OF PROBLEM SOLVING AND DISCOVERY STRATEGIES ON ATTITUDE, RETENTION AND PERFORMANCE IN GENETICS CONCEPTS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ZARIA, KADUNA STATE NIGERIA

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