Effects of Problem-Based and Discovery-Based Instructional Strategies on Students’ Academic Achievement in Chemistry

Abstract

The study investigated effect of Problem-based and Discovery-based instructional strategies on students’ Achievement in Chemistry in Agbani Education Zone of Enugu State. The research adopted a quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test, non-equivalent control group design involving two experimental and one control groups. The sample comprised 375 senior secondary class two Chemistry students from three intact classes randomly drawn from a clustered sample of three senior secondary schools in Agbani Education Zone. The classes were assigned randomly to experimental and control groups. Experimental groups were taught selected topic in Chemistry using problem-based and discovery-based strategies. Control groups were taught the same topic using expository method. Pre-test was administered to both groups before the commencement of the treatment. Treatment was administered for a period of 6 weeks after which a post-test was administered. Data was collected using two instruments, pre and post-achievement tests in Chemistry duly validated and a reliability co-efficient of .71 obtained using Kuder Richardson 20 (KR – 20) formular. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions while analysis of Coveriance (ANCOVA) tested hypotheses at .05 significance level. It was revealed among others that problem-based strategy significantly enhanced students’ achievement in Chemistry more than the discovery-based and the expository strategies. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2013.v3n6p105