The use of Collaborative Approaches on Students’ Performances in Redox Reactions

Abstract

This study investigated the use of collaborative instructional approaches on Form two science students’ performance in redox reactions. The sample for this study consisted of 106 science students from Winneba Senior High School in Ghana. The sample was selected from two intact classes in the school. After a pre-test organised for both classes, the class with the lower average score was assigned as the experimental group and the other class assigned the control group. Interviews, questionnaires, and tests were used as the main instruments to collect data for the study. The reliability of the questionnaire, pre-test, and post-test items which were determined using Cronbach-Alpha ranged from 0.76 to 0.80. A collaborative learning text-oriented instruction was applied in teaching the experimental group whereas conventional approach was used in teaching the control group. It was also found that a number of the students who took part in the study had wrong notions about redox reactions. The findings showed that there was a significant difference in performance between the experimental and control group. The experimental group performed better in the post-test than the control group. It is recommended that chemistry teachers in Ghana should employ the collaborative learning approach in teaching chemistry to enhance the students’ learning.