EFFECT OF COLLABORATIVE LEARNING STRATEGY ON STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE AND ACHIEVEMENT IN ENERGY IN NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated the effects of collaborative learning strategy on students’ attitude and achievement in energy in Nasarawa state, Nigeria. The population of the study consisted of 31,731 Junior Secondary School Students in Nasarawa State Nigeria. The sample comprised two intact classes with 138 JSII Students. The design used was a quasi- experimental pre-test, post-test post post-test non- equivalent control design. Two research questions were raised in relation with two objectives of the study and two correspondent hypotheses. A multistage random sampling technique was used for the study. The instruments used were: Energy Achievement Test (EAT) and Energy Attitude Scale (EAS). The validity indexes were 0.83 EAT and 0.89 EAS respectively. The reliability co-efficient of the instruments was determined using Kuder- Richardson K_R21 formula for EAT and Cronbach Alpha. Their reliability indexes were 0.81 for EAT and 0.79 for EAS. Description statistics of mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while inferential statistics of ANCOVA was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significant. The findings revealed that students who were taught Energy using collaborative learning strategy performed better than those taught using conventional method. (F 100. 938; p  0.000 ˂ α  0.05) for attitude and F13.453; P 0.000 ˂ α  0.05 for achievement. The study therefore concludes that teaching students of Basic Science using collaborative strategy improved their attitude, academic achievement of knowledge in Energy. Based on this finding, it is recommended among others that Basic science teachers should be encouraged to develop and adopt the use of collaborative learning strategy in teaching Energy at the junior secondary school. Government should endeavour to organize regular workshops to train teachers on the development and use of this strategy at JSII level.