THE IMPACT OF CONSTRUCTIVIST BASED TEACHING STRATEGY ON JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

THE IMPACT OF CONSTRUCTIVIST BASED TEACHING STRATEGY ON JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

CHAPITER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 HISTORY OF THE STUDY

The National Policy on Education (2004) states that the purpose of scientific education is to foster students’ creative abilities so they can live independently in the future. Adopting these goals and objectives for scientific instruction in our secondary schools has not, however, led to any significant development in students because they find it difficult to pass tests. Public education critics claim that many Nigerian students lack the depth of knowledge and abilities required for either individual success or the competitiveness of the country’s economy (Akpan, 1996). Critics have expressed concern over the apparent inability of many students to engage in challenging problem-solving activities and to apply what they learn in class to real-world challenges in business environments (Akpan, 1996). What it means to be a student or a teacher, as well as what it means to study or educate, must be fundamentally rethought by teachers and schools. Due to the growing anomalies in the current educational system, educators must adopt a new paradigm for teaching and learning (Kim, 2002). High dropout rates, low skill and knowledge levels among many students, low involvement rates among students in class, and subpar international comparisons are all indicators that the current educational paradigm is ineffective or insufficient.

Teachers must understand that any changes in pupils’ test scores necessitate curricular and instruction revisions. However, many of today’s instructors seem to be in the midst of a change for which they may or may not have been appropriately prepared (Dogru and Kalender, 2007). Many educators received their training in settings where pupils were expected to acquire content, carry out carefully monitored experiments, and perform mathematical calculations using a specific methodology before being evaluated on their capacity to repeat these tasks or retain particular information. The ideas that support an education that characterizes competence as a student’s ability to apply knowledge and skills to brand-new circumstances are not new.

According to Young and Collin (2003), constructivist theory offers a framework for integrating many ideas about teaching, learning, and evaluation. Classroom professionals have a problem and a challenge since “constructivist” reform initiatives in curriculum, instruction, and assessment are motivated by different presumptions and notions about the nature of knowledge and the capacity of human learning than conventional classroom practices (Kim, 2005). Additionally, it appears to be outdated for teachers to be the only source of information for their submissive students in the traditional teaching method. Only 20% of college students remembered what the teacher said after the lecture, according to a research done on them in a large lecture hall (Colburn, 2000). They weren’t paying attention since they were too busy taking notes. After an eight-minute lecture, just 15% of students are still paying attention, and there is no difference between prior and contemporary schools.

Nwosu and Nzewi (1998) state that among the latest tactics suggested for successful teaching and learning of science topics include the use of analogy, inquiry, cooperative learning, problem-solving, and constructivism. These activity- and interaction-based teaching strategies help students establish the necessary understanding of scientific concepts in the classroom, as well as their creative abilities, self-esteem, and participation in the classroom. These strategies not only help students acquire and retain information, but they also have a positive influence on their attitudes about scientific subjects. For the sake of this study, the researchers are constrained to discussing constructivism. A teaching method known as constructivism encourages students to build and reassemble scientific knowledge based on their own experiences. It is a teaching method that encourages classroom interaction between the teacher and the pupils. It’s a method of teaching and learning that encourages group collaboration and exploration as students strive to make sense of their assignments and resolve difficulties that they find challenging (Tim, 1993).

Nworgu (1997), Nwosu and Nzewi (1998), Iloputaife (2000), Mandor (2002), and Eze (2005) are only a few authors that have demonstrated how this method may enhance science success. Thus, in order to establish whether learning can be done more successfully, its usefulness in conjunction with the use of computer-based learning must be investigated. According to Freenberg (1999), curriculum should be created to support students’ mental development and provide them the maximum influence over their learning. This can be done by utilizing the special qualities of contemporary technologies like computers and their accoutrements, which are intended to be used as a teaching, learning, and problem-solving tool with the ultimate goal of delivering instruction on par with or better than that delivered by a human teacher (Dalal, 1992). Teaching with computer-based learning still requires the human capacity to coach, encourage, and reinforce positively because program learning is heavily dependent on the design of the questions for its effectiveness. The use of computers in the classroom did not, however, significantly affect cognitive achievement, according to some research, including one by Baggot and Wright (1997). One suggested solution to the aforementioned problem is to teach students how to be successful flexible learners. In other words, students should be able to apply what they learn in the classroom to the various unanticipated working situations that they may encounter. It is obvious that the traditional classroom model of the textbook-driven instructor as knowledge provider has not produced the desired outcome of developing critical thinkers (Young and Collin, 2003). As a result, using a constructivist strategy to change the emphasis of the classroom from teacher-centered learning to student-centered instruction is a common choice.

Statement of the problem: 1.2

Basic science is now primarily taught and learned in lecture-based instructional methods with scant use of demonstrations in many secondary schools across Nigeria. Because of the teaching methods, students are rarely exposed to hands-on activities, group discussions, or educational excursions. But if adequate teaching tools are not offered, integrated science student achievement will suffer. The poor findings call for an evaluation of the methods used to teach Basic Science in secondary schools, especially the subject of ecology. Learner-centered strategies provide the greatest chance of increasing student achievement. Therefore, one of the learner-centered instructional methodologies is the constructivist approach. Constructivist teaching strategies, according to Spector et al. (2010), empower students to create knowledge rather than just take it in passively, which enhances learning. According to Spector et al. (2010), learners are in charge of managing their knowledge and skills as well as their own learning process, which includes acquiring knowledge, skills, and understanding. Constructivist-based education has received a lot of support in publications, particularly those from Europe and America, which show its effectiveness as a method for structuring learning activities. However, there is surprisingly little research on constructivist-based scientific teaching methods, especially in Nigeria, and much less on basic science at the junior secondary school level. Thus, this study’s goal is to investigate how constructivist teaching methods affect junior secondary school students’ academic performance.

1.3 STUDY’S OBJECTIVES

The study has both general and focused objectives. The investigation of the effects of a constructivist-based teaching technique on the academic performance of junior-senior high school students is the overarching goal.The particular goals are:

i. To determine the impact of a constructivist-based teaching technique on junior-senior school students’ academic performance.

ii. To confirm whether high ability students using the constructivist strategy and those being taught using the conventional classroom teaching method scored differently on achievement tests?

iii. To determine whether low ability children taught using a constructivist-based teaching technique and those taught using a standard classroom teaching method scored significantly differently on achievement tests.

iv. To determine whether students educated using constructivist-based instruction and the conventional technique have different attitude scores.

Research hypothesis (1.4)

The following tentative assertion serves as the basis for the research:

HO1: High ability students taught using constructivist strategy and those taught using conventional classroom teaching methods did not significantly differ in their accomplishment test results.

HO2: There is no discernible difference between low ability pupils taught using a constructivist-based teaching approach and those taught using a regular classroom teaching method in terms of accomplishment test scores?

HO3: There is no discernible difference between pupils educated utilizing constructivist-based instruction and the conventional approach in terms of attitude scores.

1.5 THE STUDY’S SIGNIFICANCE

The following ways in which the study’s findings will be significant are:

The constructivist-based teaching technique used in the study is anticipated to enhance the teaching and learning process, improving student performance in basic science and attitude toward science and technology. The findings of this study will be helpful to teachers and students since they will give them new ways to teach and understand science-related material. The study’s findings should shed light on how much employing constructivist-based teaching techniques may influence students’ learning outcomes in Integrated Science. The findings of this study will also be useful to authors and curriculum developers because they will provide them with direction for what to include in their texts and curriculums, respectively. The results of this study could serve as a starting point for additional study.

1.6 THE STUDY’S SCOPE

This study aims to examine how junior secondary school students’ academic performance in basic science is affected by a constructivist-based teaching style. This investigation focuses on a few junior secondary schools in Delta State’s Asaba Local Government Area.

Limitations of the study: 1.7

While conducting the study, the researchers ran into some minor obstacles, just as in every human endeavor. The researcher was forced to choose a small sample size that only included a few secondary schools in the Asaba Local Government Area of Delta State because there was little existing literature on the topic due to the fact that it was a new discourse. As a result, the researcher had to incur additional costs and spend a lot of time searching for relevant materials, literature, or information. Therefore, conclusions from this study cannot be generalized to other secondary schools in other Nigerian States. Additionally, the researcher’s concurrent involvement in this study and other academic activity will prevent them from giving the research their full attention. Finally, the researcher was only able to use the questionnaires that really reached him because the respondent was unable to return all of the ones that were delivered to him. Nevertheless, despite the difficulties experienced during the research, every component was minimized in order to deliver the best results and ensure the success of the study.

1.8 TERMINAL DEFINITIONS

In the course of conducting this investigation, the following terms were used:

Effect: A modification that happens as a result of some activity or other cause.

According to Marlowe and Page (1998), constructivist teaching fosters an environment in which students actively participate in their own education and create their own knowledge structures through investigation and discovery.

Junior secondary education: This is the educational level that comes after primary schooling.

Academic performance: This describes a student’s ability to manage their academics and carry out various duties.

Teaching: This is a close alliance between a more developed personality and a less developed one, intended to advance the education of the latter.

Students: Individuals enrolled in school or college. referring to a person who is pursuing education in order to enter a particular field of work.