Effects of Science Process Skills Mastery Learning Approach on Students’ Acquisition of Selected Chemistry Practical Skills in School

Abstract

The study investigated the effectiveness of Science Process Skills Mastery Learning Approach (SPROS- MALEA) on students’ acquisition of Chemistry practical skills. The Solomon Four Group, Non-equivalent Control Group Design was employed in the study. The study was carried out in Koibatek District, Kenya where there has been persistent low achievement in the subject. 160 form two students from four co-educational schools, purposively selected from the District were taught the same course content on salts for a period of four weeks. The experimental group received their instructions through use of SPROSMALEA approach and control groups using the conventional teaching method. The researcher trained the teachers in the experimental groups on the technique of SPROSMALEA before the treatment. Science Process Skills Performance Test (SPSPT) and Classroom Observaion Schedule (COS) were used for data collection. The results of the study indicated that students in the experimental groups outperformed the control groups in the acquisition of selected Chemistry practical skills. It was concluded that SPROSMALEA enhanced better performance in Chemistry than the conventional teaching method. Chemistry teachers should be encouraged to incorporate this method in teaching and should be included in regular in-serving of teachers in Kenya.