Effect of Cognitive Style on Students Achievement and Retention in Physics in Senior Secondary School in Gwer-West Local Government Area, Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine the effect of cognitive styles on students’ achievement and retention in physics in senior secondary schools in Gwer-west local government area of Benue state. The study therefore looked at the achievement and retention of male and female students categorized under field independent and field dependent students in physics. Three research questions and three research hypotheses were set to obtain data for effective study. The study adopted the ex-post facto research design. The population of the study comprises 1015 SS1 physics students of 2016/2017 academic year in the twenty-nine co-educational schools of Gwer-west local government area of Benue state. The sample of the study was 150 physics students selected from five secondary schools out of 29 schools through judgmental sampling technique. The instruments for data collection were Group Embedded Figure Test (GEFT), Physics Achievement Test (PAT) and Physics Retention Test (PRT). Data collected was analyzed using descriptive analysis under parametric analysis to determine the mean and standard deviation. While the hypotheses were analyzed using statistical analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The results of the findings therefore revealed that field independent students achieved better than the field dependent students in physics. It also showed that field independent students had a higher retention memory than field dependent students. Furthermore, it revealed that male students achieved better than female students under field dependent in physics. The analysis further explained that there was a significant difference in the entire three null hypotheses. Finally, summary, conclusion, recommendations were made and suggestions for the extension of the research to other levels of education were made.