IMPACT OF PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES ON ATTITUDE, SKILLS ACQUISITION AND PERFORMANCE IN CHEMISTRY AMONG COLLEGES OF EDUCATION STUDENTS IN NORTH-WEST ZONE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the Impact of Practical Activities on Attitude, Skills Acquisition and Performance in Chemistry among Colleges of Education Students, North-West Zone, Nigeria. Randomized experimental-control groups design involving pretest and posttest was used for the study. The population of the study comprised 1,982 NCE II Chemistry students in 12 Colleges of Education in the North-West zone. Two Colleges of Education, Isah Kaita College of Education Dutsenma and Federal College of Education Zaria were randomly selected using balloting and grouped into Experimental and Control Groups using simple random sampling technique from the population. 22 students were selected from Isah Kaita College of Education Dutsenma and 38 from Federal College of Education Zaria. Three research instruments, Students Attitude toward Chemistry Practical Questionnaire (SACPQ) with reliability coefficient of 0.67, Skills Acquisition Observation Check List (SAOCL) with reliability coefficient of 0.91 and Chemistry Performance Test (CPT) with reliability coefficient of 0.87 were validated by experts and used to collect data for the study. Students in the experimental group were taught using practical activities while those in the control group were taught using lecture method. Three research questions were raised and answered using Mean Rank, Mean Rank Difference, Mean and Standard Deviation and three research hypotheses were formulated and tested using Kruskal-Walis, Tukey HSD test and t-test at p≤0.05 level of significance using SPSS statistical package. The major findings from this study include the following: there was positive attitudinal change towards chemistry among students exposed to practical activities than that of their counterparts who were taught using lecture method, skills acquired and performance of students exposed to practical activities were significantly higher than those of their counterparts who were taught using lecture method. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that exposing N.C.E chemistry students to practical activities when teaching chemistry concepts will bring about positive attitude towards chemistry, enable them to acquire skills and enhance their performance in chemistry. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations were made which includes chemistry teachers in Colleges of Education should teach chemistry concepts using practical activities among others.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE: THE PROBLEM

• 1.1 Introduction
• 1.1.1 Theoretical Framework
• 1.2 Statement of the Problem
• 1.3 Objectives of the Study
• 1.4 Research Questions
• 1.5 Research Hypotheses
• 1.6 Significance of the Study
• 1.7 Scope of the Study
• 1.8 Basic Assumptions

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

• 2.1 Introduction
• 2.2 Nature and Teaching of Chemistry at N.C.E Level
  • 2.2.1 Philosophy of Teaching Chemistry at N.C.E Level
  • 2.2.2 Objectives of Teaching Chemistry at N.C.E Level
  • 2.2.3 Methods in Teaching Chemistry
• 2.3 Curriculum Innovations in Science that emphasize the Importance of Practical activities
• 2.4 Practical Activities in Chemistry and its Objectives
• 2.5 Relationship between Practical Chemistry and Attitude toward chemistry at N.C.E Level
• 2.6 Relationship between Practical Chemistry and Skills Acquisition at N.C.E Level
• 2.7 Relationship between Practical activities in Chemistry and Performance in Chemistry at N.C.E Level
• 2.8 Overview of Similar Studies
• 2.9 Implication of Literature Reviewed to the Present Study

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

• 3.1 Introduction
• 3.2 Research Design
• 3.3 Population of the Study
• 3.4 Sample and Sampling Technique
• 3.5 Instrumentation
  • 3.5.1 Students' Attitude towards Chemistry Practical Questionnaire (SACPQ)
  • 3.5.2 Skills Acquisition Observation Check List (SAOCL)
  • 3.5.3 Chemistry Performance Test (CPT)
  • 3.5.4 Validity of Instruments (SACPQ, SAOCL, and CPT)
• 3.5.5 Pilot Testing
• 3.5.6 Reliability of the Instruments
• 3.6 Item Analysis
• 3.7 Administration of Instruments
  • 3.7.1 Administering Instruments to the Experimental Group
  • 3.7.2 Teaching the Control Group
• 3.8 Procedure for Data Analysis
• 3.9 Data Analysis
  • 3.9.1 Answering Research Questions
  • 3.9.2 Hypotheses Testing

(Chapters Four and Five, References, and Appendices would follow in the complete document.)