Effects of Process-oriented Instructional Strategies on Spatial Abilities and Basic Science Achievement of 9th Grade Students in Kogi State, Nigeria
Thomas Aduojo Audu *
Department of Science Education, Kogi State University, Anyigba, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Worried by the massive and persistent failure in secondary school science in Nigeria, the need to research into the effect of process-oriented instructional strategies on spatial abilities and basic science achievement of 9th grade students in Kogi state became very compelling. The study is a quasi-experimental design of pretest, posttest and non-randomized control group type. A total of 702 students (n=316 boys and 386 girls) participated in the study. Three null hypotheses formulated were tested at 0.05 alpha level. While the experimental group received instructions through process-oriented instructional strategies, the control group was through lecture method. Spatial Ability Test (SAT), and Basic Science Achievement Test I and II (BSAT I & II) with reliability coefficients of 0.81, 0.87 and 0.85 were used for data collection. Frequency, percentage, correlation and t-test (for independent respondents) statistics were used for data analysis. It was found that students exposed to process-oriented instructional strategies achieved significantly higher in spatial ability and basic science achievement, among others. Process-oriented instructional strategy was therefore recommended for use by basic science teachers especially when the emphasis is on the development of spatial abilities in learners.
Keywords: Process-oriented instructional strategies, spatial abilities, basic science achievement, 9th grade.