IMPROVEMENT OF SENIOR HIGH STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN HEAT TRANSFER USING PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES IN EFFUTU MUNICIPAL, GHANA

Abstract

This study investigated the integration of practical activities with theoretical lessons to improve students’ academic performance in the concept of heat transfer at A. M. E. Zion Girls’ Senior High School, Winneba, in the Central Region of Ghana. A sample of 50 female home economics students in SHS two was purposefully selected for the study. Questionnaires and test items were the main instruments used to collect data for the study. Students completed pre-intervention and post-intervention tests after using an interactive and hands-on instructional approach as an intervention. A descriptive statistical analysis was used to measure the trends in teaching and learning methods. Statistical differences between students' performance before and after the study were examined using the mean, standard deviation; t-test, mean gain, and effect size analysis to analyse the research questions. Student responses to the questionnaire revealed that 86% of the students understood the concept of heat transfer after the intervention and 94% of the study sample indicated that they would like to see physics lessons integrated with theory and hands-on activities. The average gain between pre- and post-intervention test scores was 3.74, with a p-value of 0.000** demonstrating the success of the intervention process. This study supports the use of instructional tools in the physics classroom and recommends the use of interactive hands-on activities to improve the student's academic performance.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0035/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>