The effect of the chemistry practicals on the academic performance of Ward Secondary School students in Momba District in Tanzania

Abstract

The knowledge of chemistry is fundamental in the development of industries of any country. Acquiring chemistry knowledge starts from lower schools to higher schools. In acquiring chemistry knowledge, practicals are very important in equipping students with the knowledge and skills of actual practices of the concepts they learn. Practicals are used as a catalyst in understanding chemistry concepts. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of chemistry practicals on the academic performance of ward secondary students in the Momba District in Tanzania. The study examined the effects of chemistry practicals on the academic performance of students in ward secondary school. This study utilized a quantitative approach, with a quasi-experimental design. A quasi-experimental design was designed in form of pre- and post-test. The data were collected through students’ chemistry achievement tests, and it involved 92 students, 46 from the experimental and other 46 from the control group. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were used, and inferential statistics involved the independent samples t-tests. The findings show that there was a significant difference in performance between students who studied chemistry through practicals and those who studied chemistry without practicals. Therefore, the study recommends the consideration of practicals works in the teaching and learning of chemistry.