Effect of Constructivist-Based Teaching Strategy on Academic Performance of Students in Integrated Science at the Junior Secondary School Level

Abstract

Integrated science plays vital role in Nigerian science education programme because it prepares pupils at the Junior Secondary School level for the study of core science subjects at the Senior Secondary School level which in turn brings about students' interest in science oriented courses at the tertiary institutions. Despite government's efforts to encourage science teaching and learning among Nigerian students right from the Junior Secondary School level, the enrolment of students in core science subjects and science oriented courses at the Senior Secondary School level and tertiary institutions level respectively, is not encouraging. This is as a result of Junior Secondary School students' negative attitude towards integrated science. Research reports indicate that this negative attitude was caused, majorly, by teachers' conventional (lecture) method of teaching integrated science. Research reports on the effectiveness of constructivist-based teaching strategy revealed that the strategy enhanced students' academic performance. In view of this, this study examines the effectiveness of constructivist-based teaching strategy on academic performance in integrated science by Junior Secondary School students in South-West Nigeria. Quasi-experimental research design was used to achieve the purpose of this study. Participants were 120 Junior Secondary School Students randomly selected from four out of the 25 co-educational Junior Secondary Schools in Ijebu-ode local government area of ogun state, South-west Nigeria. Findings revealed that the constructivist instructed students had higher scores on the post test and the delayed post test, compared to those exposed to conventional (lecture) method of teaching. We concluded that if integrated science teachers could incorporate constructivist-based teaching strategy into their teaching methods, there would be an improvement in academic performance of Junior Secondary School Students in integrated science. The researchers recommended that integrated science teachers should incorporate constructivist-based teaching strategy in their methods of teaching. (Contains 3 tables.)