Effect of Cooperative Learning, Expository and Inquiry Based Strategies on Chemistry Students Academic Achievement in Senior Secondary Schools in Zamfara State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the effect of cooperative learning, expository and inquiry
based strategies on chemistry students’ academic achievement in chemical
equations among senior secondary schools in Zamfara State, Nigeria. Four research
questions were raised and four hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 levels of
significance. A quasi-experimental, post-test, control group design was adopted for the study.
The population of this study comprised a total of 2,209 Senior Secondary School II (SS II)
students from 14 secondary schools. A sample size of 120 SS2 students was drawn from three
secondary schools in Zamfara State. The purposive random sampling technique was used in
selecting the schools. The instrument used for data collection was Chemical Equation
Assessment Test and the reliability coefficient was 0.76. Data collected was analyzed using
mean score, standard deviation, independent t-test and Two-way Analysis of Covariance
(ANCOVA). The experimental groups were exposed to cooperative learning and inquiry
based learning while the control group was taught using the expository method.
Part of the findings of the study was that there was a significant difference between the
mean achievement scores of chemistry students in cooperative learning, inquiry-based
learning and the expository group in the State, also; cooperative learning is potentially
viable in enhancing understanding and improving students' academic achievement in
chemical equation concepts and as such, the experimental group performed significantly
better than those in the control group. Based on the findings from the study, it was
recommended, among others, that chemistry teachers should be trained and retrained in
the use of cooperative learning strategy. Secondly, chemistry teachers should incorporate
cooperative learning into the teaching of chemistry so as to promote better academic
achievement among secondary school students.