Journal of Science, Technology and Mathematics Pedagogy

ATTITUDE AS CORRELATES OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICS IN KOGI STATE, NIGERIA

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigated attitude as correlates of senior secondary school students’ performance in physics in Kogi State, Nigeria. The design was correlational research design. The target population for the study comprised all the senior secondary two (SS 2) physics students in all the public co-educational secondary schools in Kogi State, Nigeria. The sample size was 386 physics students selected using the Yamane formula and the multistage sampling technique to determine the students from 18 secondary schools in each of the senatorial districts. The instruments used for data collection were Physics Attitude Rating Scale (PARS) and Physics Performance Test (PPT). The reliability coefficient of PARS was 0.88 and PPT was 0.81. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The research questions were answered using Pearson product moment correlation while regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed a significant relationship between students’ attitude and academic performance, students’ attitude and academic performance based on gender in favour of the male students in physics. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that the school management and teachers should work towards the development of positive attitude, since students’ attitude correlates positively with their academic performance in physics.

SCHOOL-COMMUNITY SYNERGY AS CORRELATES OF EFFECTIVENESS OF PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Busayo Oluwabukola ALAO, Olawumi Esther TEMISANREN, Kamaldeen Olohundare SULYMAN — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This study examined school-community synergy as correlate of effectiveness of public secondary schools in Kwara State, Nigeria. It adopted descriptive research design of correlational type 6,284 teachers in the entire 371 public secondary schools in Kwara State constituted the population of the study. Six local government areas (LGAs) were randomly selected and used for the study. Proportionate sampling technique was used to select 47 public secondary schools out of the 143 in the selected six LGAs. Three hundred and forty-two teachers were proportionately selected out of the 3,113 in the sampled public secondary schools in the areas, using Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table for sample size determination. Data collection was done through the use of ‘School-community Synergy Questionnaire’ (SSQ) and Students’ Academic Performance Proforma (SAPP). SSQ was validated, tested for reliability and yielded reliability coefficient of 0.84. The findings of the study revealed that there was a significant relationship between school-community synergy and effectiveness of public secondary schools in Kwara State, Nigeria. The study concluded that school-community synergy plays a significant role in enhancing effectiveness of public secondary schools. It was recommended that the school managements should always intensify efforts to build a peaceful, strong, and fruitful synergy with the communities where the schools are located, for the purpose of enhancing school effectiveness.

PERCEIVED ACADEMIC STRESS ON PRIMARY SCHOOL PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ PERFORMANCE AND INTEREST IN MATHEMATICS

Mary Adejoke JESUTOKI — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The study investigated perceived academic stress on primary school pre-service teachers’ performance and interest in Mathematics. Survey research design was adopted in the study. The population for the study comprised all the primary school pre-service teachers’ in Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo and random sampling method was employed to obtain 100 respondents as sample size for the study. The research instrument used for this study was questionnaire tagged “Academic Stress Questionnaire (ASQ) with a reliability coefficient of 0.74. Two research questions were generated and answered in this study. Frequency count, percentages and Pearson Product Moment Correlation coefficient were used to analyse the data. Findings revealed that primary school pre-service teachers’ academic stress has low influence on performance in Mathematics while academic stress is not related to primary school pre-service teachers’ interest in Mathematics. Based on the findings, school administrator should implement stress reduction programmes for students and Teachers and parents should not put unnecessary pressure on students so as to reduce stress and improve their performance and increase their interest in Mathematics.

EFFECT OF SCAFFOLDING INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY ON SENIOR SECONDARY STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMAMCE IN PHYSICS IN KOGI STATE, NIGERIA.

Friday Akubor, Lawrence Achimugu, Ayodele Gabriel Fasanya, Ojonoka Agah Oche — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The study investigated effect of scaffolding instructional strategy on students’ academic performance in Physics. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study consisted of 11,091 (5,916 male and 5,175 female) senior secondary school two (SS 11) students who offers physics in Kogi State. The sample size for the study was 240 SSS II students offering Physics in the selected secondary schools. The instrument used for data collection was Physics performance Test (PPT) and Researcher adopted quasi-experimental design for the study. The instruments was face and content validated by three experts. The method of data collection was multi-stage sampling technique and simple random sample technique was used to select a total sample of one hundred and sixty five (165) students from the two secondary schools used for the study. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significant using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The reliability of the PPT was calculated using Kuder-Richardson (K-R20) method, from which a reliability coefficient of 0.80 was obtained. The results of the analysis showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the academic performance mean scores of students in physics when exposed to scaffolding and conventional strategies. The findings showed that, there was no significant difference between the academic performance mean scores of male and female students’ taught Physics using scaffolding strategy. Furthermore, the finding revealed that there was no statistically significant interaction effect of instructional strategy and gender on academic performance of students in physics. Based on the findings, it was recommended that Physics teachers should adopt scaffolding instructional strategy in teaching and learning of Physics in order to improve students’ academic performance in physics.

IMPROVING STUDENTS’ ENGLISH VOCABULARY MASTERY THROUGH BINGO GAME

Clement Gowon Omachonu, Uchenna Oluebubechi Ojotule — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The study examined the effectiveness of Bingo game on the academic performance of Upper Basic II students in English vocabulary in Okura District of Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. The study adopted a pretest- post-test quasi experimental research design. One research question and one null-hypothesis guided the study. The population of the study was 732 Upper Basic II students drawn from 11 public schools in Okura District. Using Krejcie and Morgan's table of sampling, a sample size of 248 students (128 males and 120 females) were used for the study. Data was generated through English Vocabulary Development Performance Test (EVDPT). The instrument for data collection was subjected to both face and content validity. For the face validity, the instrument was validated by two experts in the field of Language Education, Department of Arts Education, and one expert from Measurement and Evaluation, Department of Educational Foundation, Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, Kogi state. The content validity was ensured through the use of a table of specification. A reliability index of 0.75 was realized using Kuder Richardson formula 20 (KR20). Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The finding of the study revealed that the experimental group, that is, those taught with Bingo game performed better than those taught with the conventional lecture method just as there was significant difference in the performance of the experimental and control groups in favour of the experimental group. Based on this finding, it was recommended, among others, that Bingo game technique should be incorporated into the English Studies curriculum for the teaching of English vocabulary.

EFFECT OF LABORATORY PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ATTITTUDE TOWARDS CHEMISTRY IN KOGI STATE

Grace Ojochona Oguche, Lawrence Achimugu — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examined the effect of laboratory practical activities on secondary school students’ attitude towards Chemistry in Kogi State. Quasi experimental research design was adopted for the study. The study involved a target population of 11,091 SS II students offering chemistry in Kogi State. The sample consisted of 160 SS II students selected using multistage sampling technique. Two research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The instrument used for data was a validated Chemistry Attitude Scale (CAS). The reliability coefficient of the CAS was established to be 0.80 using Cronbach-Alpha. Mean and standard deviation was used to answer the research questions while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study showed that there was significant difference between the attitudes mean scores of students taught chemistry using laboratory practical activities and those taught using lecture method, in favour of laboratory practical activities. Furthermore, the findings showed that there was no significant difference between the attitudes mean scores of male and female students’ taught chemistry using laboratory practical activities. It was concluded that laboratory practical activities was more effective in enhancing students’ attitude towards chemistry. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that chemistry teachers should therefore be encouraged to prepare laboratory experiment for every topic and use the experiments in chemistry textbooks and workbooks recommended by the Ministry of Education.

THE ROLE OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN DEVELOPING SOFT SKILLS AMONG STUDENTS OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION OF TARABA STATE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION ZING, NIGERIA

J.A. Judith, I.P. Nzaja, S.D. Obafemi — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examined the role of experiential learning on the development of soft skills among students of vocational and technical education of Taraba State College of Education Zing, Nigeria. Experiential learning, which emphasizes hands-on experiences and practical applications, was examined as a strategy for enhancing skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design to assess the effectiveness of experiential learning in developing soft skills and improving career readiness. The population of the study consist of all NCE 3 Students of Agric Education, Business Education, Home Economics, Technical Education and Fine Arts department of Taraba State College of Education Zing. The total enrolment of NCE 3 students in the five departments is five hundred and thirty-five (535) students (Directorate of Management Information System, COE Zing, 2024). The average age of the students is between eighteen and twenty-five (18-25) years. A stratified random sampling technique was used for the study. A sample size of 150 TVET students (final-year students who have undergone experiential learning activities) was used for the study. A structured questionnaire was administered to the selected students to gather quantitative data on their perceptions of experiential learning and soft skills development. The instrument's reliability was established with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.82, indicating strong internal consistency. Psychometric analysis, including factor analysis, was conducted to validate the constructs measured by the instrument. The results indicated that experiential learning significantly contributes to the development of soft skills, with internship/industrial training and group projects/simulations being particularly effective. It is recommended that TVET programmes integrate more experiential learning opportunities to enhance students' soft skills and prepare them for the demands of the workforce. Further research should explore the long-term impact of experiential learning on career success.

The Death of the Dictionary: Is Reliance on Digital Language Tools Eroding Deep Vocabulary Learning?

Ameh Timothy Ojochegbe, Clement Gowon Omachonu, Onoja Peter — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study explores the shifting dynamics of vocabulary acquisition in the context of digital language tools, comparing their impact on the depth and breadth of learning to that of traditional dictionaries. With the increasing reliance on digital tools such as online dictionaries, translation apps, and AI-driven platforms, concerns arise regarding their effectiveness in fostering comprehensive vocabulary understanding. The study was conducted across five secondary schools with a total population of 2,549 learners and educators. A sample size of 55 participants was selected, comprising 30 language learners (survey participants), 15 learners (interview participants), and 10 educators (interview participants). Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combined survey data, interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis to offer a comprehensive evaluation of these tools. Results indicate that 90% of participants widely adopt digital tools, valuing them for their speed, accessibility, and gamified features, which enhance engagement and foster the rapid acquisition of a broad vocabulary. However, findings also reveal that their focus on convenience often leads to superficial learning, with limited attention to contextual and cultural nuances essential for deeper language mastery. In contrast, traditional dictionaries and learning methods promote thorough engagement, enabling learners to grasp semantic relationships, collocations, and the pragmatic use of words. The study advocates for a blended approach that combines the efficiency of digital tools with the depth offered by traditional resources. It recommends that digital platforms be enhanced with semantic networks, situational examples, and cultural references to support deep vocabulary learning. Furthermore, educators should integrate active, context-based teaching strategies that merge digital and traditional methods to optimize vocabulary acquisition in contemporary language learning.

EFFECT OF INTERACTIVE LECTURE METHOD ON STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS CHEMISTRY IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL IN KOGI STATE

Ojodomo Noah Audu, Ojoarome Victor Omale, Lawrence Achimugu — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The study investigated the effect of interactive lecture method on students’ attitude towards chemistry in senior secondary school in Kogi State. Three research questions and three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. A sample of 200 SS1 students were drawn from a population of 11,091 using multi-stage sampling technique as sample for the study. The instrument used for data collection was Chemistry Attitude Scale (CAS, r=0.72). Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that: there is significant difference between the attitude of students exposed to interactive lecture method and those exposed to conventional lecture method. There is also a significant difference between the attitude of male and female students exposed to the interactive lecture and conventional lecture methods. The study further revealed that there is no significant interaction effect of tratment and gender. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that chemistry teachers should adopt use of interactive lecture teaching method to teach chemistry in order to improve students’ attitude in chemistry since interactive lecture has proven to be effective. Furthermore, Chemistry teachers who have not adopted the use of any innovative teaching method such as guided discovery recommended by national chemistry curriculum are also encouraged to use interactive lecture method since it has been proven that it is better than conventional lecture method.

EFFECT OF MULTIMEDIA INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY ON SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS IN KOGI STATE.

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The study investigated Effects of multimedia instructional strategy on senior secondary school students’ academic performance in mathematics, Kogi State. To achieve this, two research questions and two hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Quasi-experimental design, specifically the pre-test, post-test, non-equivalent and non-randomized control group was adopted for the study. The population of this study consisted of 12703 (6,680 male and 6,023 female) Senior Secondary (SS II) students in 236 public senior secondary schools in Kogi State .The sample consisted 239 (male 132 female 107) Senior Secondary school students (SSII) who are offering Mathematics in four intact classes located in four public secondary schools in Kogi State obtained using multi-stage sampling. The instrument used for data collection was algebra performance Test (APT). Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The finding showed that, there was a statistically significant difference between the academic performance means scores of students in Algebra when exposed to multimedia instructional strategy and conventional lecture strategy in favour of the multimedia instructional strategy with high mean. The finding also indicated that, there was no statistically significant difference between the academic performance means scores of male and female students taught algebra using multimedia instructional strategy. It was recommended that to increase students’ academic performance in algebra, mathematics teachers should employ multimedia instructional strategies when teaching algebra. Government through the federal and state ministries of education should provide the required instructional materials necessary for the use of multimedia instructional strategies to improve male and female students’ understanding of the various terminologies in Mathematics, also mathematics teachers should be sponsor constantly on in-service training on the use of multimedia instructional strategy

EFFECT OF GUIDED DISCOVERY METHOD ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND INTEREST AMONG AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE STUDENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN WUDIL EDUCATION ZONE, KANO STATE

Idi Garba — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The importance of agricultural science in sustainable food production as well as national development cannot be overemphasized. This study investigated the effect of guided discovery method on academic achievement and interest among agricultural science students in Secondary Schools in Wudil Education Zone, Kano State. The study adopted quasi-experimental research design. Four research questions and four null hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study was 3,125. Four intact classes, two control and two experimental groups served as sample of the study exposed to lecture method and guided discovery method respectively. Two instruments were used for data collection; Agricultural Science Achievement Test (ASAT) and Agricultural Science Interest Ratings Questionnaire (ASIRQ). The instruments were validated by three experts and reliability coefficient of 0.78 and 0.69 were obtained using Pearson product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMC) and Spearman Rank Order Correlation Coefficient respectively. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings from the study revealed that guided discovery method was found to be an effective method in enhancing the academic achievement and interests of students in Agricultural Science and the method is gender friendly. It was recommended among others, that Kano State Ministry of Education should organize workshops for teachers so that they would be conversant in the use of guided discovery method.