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EFFECTS OF CONSTRUCTION STIMULATION TEACHING
STRATEGY ON STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENT AND RETENTION
ABSTRACT
This study investigated the effect of
teachers’ use of constructive simulation on students’ achievement and retention
in Christian Religious Studies in secondary schools, in Awka South Local
Government Area of Anambra State. The study also considered the influence of gender
on students’ academic achievement and retention. The achievement and retention
ability of students taught with constructive simulation were compared with that
of students taught with conventional lecture method. The study was guided by
six research questions, and six hypotheses. A quasi-experimental design,
specifically, pre test post-test control group design involving four intact
classes were employed. The population comprised of 2,170 JS3 CRS students of 12
State Government co-educational secondary schools in Awka South Local
Government Area. A sample of 174 JS3 students distributed in four intact
classes, drawn by both purposive and simple random sampling techniques from
four co-educational schools took part in the study. The students in intact classes
were randomly assigned either to experimental groups (constructive simulation
group) or control groups (conventional method group). Two intact classes in two
different schools formed the experimental groups and the other two intact
classes in two other schools as control groups. Both the experimental groups
and the control groups were taught the same topics. The instrument for
students’ achievement test in Christian Religious Studies (SATCRS) was
developed, validated and used for data collection. The instrument was
trial-tested on a sample of 25 JS3 CRS students who were not part of the actual
study. The reliability of the instrument was determined using Kudder Richardson
fomula for
internal consistency and Pearson Product Movement Correlation Coefficient
formula for stability. The reliability value of the instrument was 0.79 and
0.85 respectively. The data collected were analyzed using mean and standard
deviation to answer research questions while the hypotheses were tested using
analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at 0.05level of significance. The results of
the study revealed that constructive simulation had significant effect on
students’ achievement and retention in Christian Religious Studies. Also, the
effect of constructive simulation and gender combined on students’ post-test
achievement in Christian Religious Studies was significant, however gender and
the method had no significant effect on students’ retention in Christian
Religious Studies. It implies from the findings of the study that there is need
for CRS teachers to adopt the use of constructive simulation in teaching as it
proved more effective in improving students’ achievement and retention in
Christian Religious Studies. It is recommended that government bodies,
stakeholders in education, Nigerian Educational Research and Development
Council (NERDC) and National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) should organize and
sponsor workshops, seminars, conferences or in-service training to train and
encourage teachers on the use of constructive simulation as an innovative
technique.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
of the study
Christian Religious Studies (CRS) is expected
to produce a morally literate citizenry that can perceive the religious
dimension of social responsibilities in the home, the school and the entire
society. The much desired sound moral education of our nation can be achieved
when students acquire basic education in Christian Religious Studies before
leaving school. The knowledge obtained through sound Christian Religious
education will lead to improvement in the moral quality of individual and
society as a whole. Christian Religious Studies is a necessary subject for
tolerance, peace, national unity and development of a nation. It is implied
that for any meaningful growth and development to be achieved, Christian
Religious Studies must be given adequate attention (Achebe, 2005).
Christian
Religious Studies is one of the non vocational subjects offered at all levels
of Nigerian education system. It is an important subject that has positive
impact on human life and national development. It is not only important as a
school subject but should be seen as a bedrock of moral living and very vital
part of life itself (Oduma, 2007). It appears that the value of Christian
Religious Studies in the lives of individuals and the society at large inspired
its inclusion in school curriculum at all the levels of educational system in
Nigeria. Hence, the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN, 2004) stressed the
objectives of teaching and
learning CRS
in basic education
under secondary education.
Some of
the
objectives
include inspiring students with a desire for self
improvement,
raising
individuals
who can
think for themselves, appreciate dignity of
labour,
societal
values, fostering
national unity and live as good citizens.
The current
CRS of today
presents the curriculum
in themes,
as a
living
guide to individuals. The themes
can lead the
students and teachers to
discover
several Biblical topics at the same time
as they relate to
societal
values
(Obinna,
Qucoopome & Shyllon, 2000 in Onochie, 2005). This implies that the topics
bring together as a whole, and relating to societal values is germane to
providing learners at junior secondary school level with functional knowledge
to meet the aspirations of the society. If this is to be achieved, CRS must be
taught by competent teachers who are knowledgeable enough about the subject as
presented in themes. Competent teachers implies teachers that have ability to
perform well in teaching to enhance students’ learning process. Competence in
teaching embraces combination of knowledge, skills and attitude that can be
developed through training, and which are adequate for achieving some specific
tasks. Some of these tasks for teacher include understanding of learners’
development, learning problems, classroom management, adequate knowledge of
subject matter, and use of instructional
materials (Olaitan & Agusiobo, 1984 in Okonkwo, 2010). This implies that
the competency level of a teacher can be determined by how much the learners
have gained from instructional process
In
consequence to produce competent teachers for the basic education, the Federal
Republic of Nigeria (FRN, 2004) laid emphasis on the training of quality
teachers for effective teaching and learning. The federal and state ministries
of education in order to implement this policy on the training of teachers made
it imperative that quality teachers should be trained. It is regrettable to note
that with the emphasis on the training of quality teachers, the results of
students on Christian Religious Studies do not give impression that all is well
with the teaching method employed by the teachers.
The reports of the Examination Development Centre
(EDC), in charge of Basic Education Certificate Examination in Anambra State
stressed the high rate of failure in CRS, for five years (2007-2011) especially
in the theme containing the Epistles. The reports attributed the cause of
students’ poor performance to lack of knowledge of subject matter, non
commitment and poor methodology on the part of teachers. Alubaleze (2004)
posited that poor method of teaching like the conventional method or lecture
method is the root factor to students’ poor achievement and retention in CRS.
Alubaleze (2004) further explained that lecture method is teacher-centered.
Lecture method makes instruction boring and the teacher cannot guarantee
carrying the boring students (Nwizu & Nwobu, 2003 in Okeke 2007). The
implication is that lecture method makes the teacher active and the learner
passive listener in the teaching and learning environment. With the poor
performance of students in public examinations coupled with societal vices
prevalent in the society, especially among the youths, there is need for
instruction to be more effective to enhance students’ academic achievement and
retention in the subject as well as discipline leading to values that will make
individuals live as good citizens.
It is expected that with the emphasis on the
training of teachers, the level of instruction would improve which invariably
would enhance better academic achievement and retention in the subject.
Academic achievement is viewed as attainment in a school subject as symbolized
by a score or mark on an achievement test (Okoro in Ogbonna 2007). Ogbonna
(2007) further explained that academic achievement depends on various factors
which include the teacher’s instructional methods, learning environment and the
learner. The same factors affect retention of learning. Retention can be
defined as learner’s ability to recall facts that have been previously learned.
Okeke-Okosisi (2012) referred to retention of learning as learner’s ability to
transfer information earlier learned or learner’s ability to repeat
performance, or behaviour earlier acquired, elicited after a period of time. It
implies that a learner who repeats an acquired information with less error is
said to
have
retained the learned material. Retention of learning is affected by the method
of learning, the degree of reinforcement and learners’ capacity to learn. This
entails that the teaching method is expected to simulate students to learn and
equally have ability to enforce learning retention. The implication is that
evaluation of students’ learning needs to extend beyond post test for a
consideration of individual students in terms of their ability to generalize
and transfer learning.
Nevertheless, some factors have been
identified to account for students’ poor achievement and retention in Christian
Religious Studies as gender. Gender difference is a very strong issue in
Nigerian culture. Among Nigerians, there is a general belief that males are
superior to females in terms of physique, cognition, logical reasoning and even
superior in academic reasoning (Anigbogu, 2002 in Okafor, 2006). Some factors
have been identified as responsible for the differences in male and female
academic achievement and invariably in retention ability. The factors include
sex-role stereo-typing, masculine image of inability to withstand stress and
female socialization process. Sex-role stereo-typing appears to be the origin
of the difference between males and females in science and arts education
(Okeke-Okosisi 2013). The stereo-types tend to place female students at a
disadvantage relative to male students in science subjects. In academic
performance, male students tend to perform better than females in science,
while
female
students tend to perform better than male students in liberal arts and social
science subjects (Ilojeme, 2012).
However, some studies have shown contradictory
in students’ academic achievement and retention in science and liberal arts /
social science subjects which CRS is one. Ibekwe (2005) observed that there was
no statistical significant difference in the academic achievement of male and
female students in literature in English. The disparity in male and female
students’ achievement in Social sciences and Arts subjects has revealed that
other factors apart from sex role stereo-typing can affect students’ academic
achievement and retention than gender.
This implies
that various factors contributed to students’ poor academic achievement and
retention in CRS. Opara (2005) posited that though poor academic performance of
students in different school subjects may be related to lack of students’
commitment to their studies, lack of interest, inadequate support from their
parents and even the government; all that the teacher commonly use is
conventional or lecture method, rather than strategies that provide students’
active participation
This entails that the teacher ought to engage
in self - evaluation regarding the quality of instruction. The teacher is
required to reflect on his/ her methodology and students’ learning style in
order to device a means of making instructional process learner–centred. Hence,
any mismatch between teaching and students’ perceptual strength results to
teacher’s poor performance and students’
poor
academic achievement (Ejide, 2011). It is likely that CRS teachers neither
think about the students’ academic performance nor evaluate their method of
teaching and learning activities through reflection. Olayode (2012) noted that
reflective practice in teaching-learning process has to do with how we teach
and learn. It fits in the interpretive view of teaching and learning, a move
towards critical thinking of the way we teach and learn. Reflective practice in
teaching isa kind of teaching
strategy which has to be viewed in terms of what teacher can do for himself /
herself and for the students to ascertain productivity in teaching and
students’ learning. In this extent, reflective practice in teaching is a call
to combine theory and practice to maintain and sustain teaching profession.
Reflective
practice in teaching is characterized by its dynamic process that intends to
lead through successive cycles. Neil (2004), Sumerville and Keeling
(2004),
Mamede and Schmidt (2004) highlighted reflective practice skills as: involving
self monitoring and reflection; active concern with aims, consequences, means
and technical efficiency; and cyclical process in monitoring, evaluating and
revising practice continuously. Other skills are competence in methods of
evidence-based classroom inquiry to support the progressive development of
higher standard of teaching; attitudes of open-mindedness, responsibility and
whole heartedness; teacher judgment informed by evidence-based inquiry and insight
from other research; collaboration and dialogue with colleagues; and creatively
mediating externally and develop frameworks for teaching and learning.
The
principles imply that a reflective teacher gathers information from classroom
activities analyzes and assesses the information. The teacher identifies,
explores procedures and compares with those of others, and goes back to the
starting point to refine the activities for improvement. Teachers have
significant roles to play in the process of teaching and learning to make it
meaningful. They are expected to consider immediate aims and consequences of
classroom practices. They are expected to be aware that classroom work cannot
be isolated from the influence of the wider society and therefore have to consider
both areas. They are principally expected to plan, make provision and execute.
They are demanded to monitor, observe learners and collect data on the
learners’ intentions, actions and feelings. They are also charged to analyze
their evidence critically and evaluate it so that they can share and subject it
to judgment and decision- making. It may lead them to revise their classroom
policies, plans and provision before starting the process again. On this note,
they may draw knowledge from colleagues by associating with them, sharing
experiences with colleagues and teacher trainees. This may occur in schools, in
seminars or tutor-groups and workshops. Bearing in mind reflective practice
principles, teachers seem to be more committed to teaching and learning process
(Moon, 2004).
It is
asserted that reflective practice in teaching rests on constructivism and
meta-cognition (Oduma, 2007). It is based on the fundamental principle about
sharing authority. Constructivism and meta-cognition motivate the experiences
and activities offered to teachers as they review their practices and attempt
to change (Okereke, 2010). Constructivism refers to the learning theory which
argues that learners generate knowledge and meaning out of their experiences,
while meta-cognition refers to the theory that deals with how people think. It
suggests that learners build knowledge upon experiences. It tries to explain
people’s ability to think about what they are doing and think why they are
experiencing it. In teaching and learning process, it is ability to reflect on
experiences concerning teaching-learning situations and to learn from them. It
requires teachers’ ability to determine how a lesson is going on, where the
pitfalls are and how to regulate teaching behaviour while teaching.
Constructivism and meta-cognition are often associated with pedagogic
approaches that promote active learning or learning by doing; and a variety of
methods are based on them (Okereke, 2010).
The methods
that rest upon constructivism are referred to as constructive-oriented methods.
Some of the constructive –orient ed methods include simulations, games, project
method, co-operative learning method, concept mapping and the like. The
Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC, 2008 & 2009)
suggested that teaching methods should embrace teaching innovations like
constructive–oriented met hods to improve teaching and learning. The council
pointed out that constructive-oriented methods foster students’ active
participation in the learning process. Constructive-oriented methods encourage
peer interaction and enhance learning rate than the lecture method (Okereke,
2010). The implication is that the memory of the classroom activities register
easily in students’ memory as they interact with their peers. Learning is more
meaningful when students are active participants and in the use of
constructive-oriented methods, students are said to be active participants
(Obiekwe, 2008 & Ogbonna, 2007) Different studies have used
constructive-oriented methods in a variety of studies but little is known about
its usage in CRS. Okereke (2010) used constructive –oriented method i n
teaching Biology, while Okeke-Okosisi (2012) used the method in Agricultural
Science. This study considers simulation method which is one of the
instructional methods that has its bases in constructivism.
Simulation
can be defined as the imitation of some things, state of affairs or processes.
It is described as a method of teaching whereby learners are engaged in a world
of pretence or imitation (Ndu, 2010). Simulation is a concept in educational
process which can be used to show the eventual real effect of action.
The basis of
simulation instructional model on constructivist learning theory makes it
constructive. Hence, the two concepts, constructive and simulation combine to
form the term constructive simulation.
Constructive
simulation can be referred to as a process of instruction that spur learners to
use experiences to imitate real things, abstracts, state of affairs, characters
or processes as closely as possible in producing knowledge. Constructive
simulation relies on some guided discovery where the teacher avoids most direct
instruction; and attempts to guide the students through questions and
activities, to discover, discuss, appreciate and verbalize the new knowledge
(Walker, 2008 in Okekeokosisi 2012). It implies that constructive simulation is
dependent on learning as a guided discovery.
In a constructive simulation classroom
environment, students are encouraged for free expression, collaboration and
exchange of ideas with their peers. In constructive simulation classroom, the
students engage in problem-solving provided with prompts. Homelo-Silver (2006)
supports the notion that in the process of utilizing hints, students strive to
transform experiences into information meaningful which can lead them to
achieve the desired goal. Jong (2005) noted that constructive- oriented methods
(which constructive simulation is one of them) are active pedagogies that are
learner-centred. This implies that constructive simulation provides opportunity
to students to develop creative thinking and skills as well as more positive
attitude towards learning experiences than lecture method. Students are more
likely to acquire critical thinking skills and meta-cognitive learning
strategies, such as learning how to interact with peers as opposed by listening
to lectures (Hmelo-Silver, 2006). In addition, Homelo-Silver (2006) depicted
that constructive oriented- methods should result in positive effects on
students’ achievement and retention of information. Constructive simulation
activities involve carefully structured learning activities whereby students
are held responsible for their contribution, participation and learning.
Students interact and learn from more skilled peers. It is unlike lecture
method where students are rendered mere listeners. Thus, constructive
simulation appears to be activity-oriented method that tries to simulate
students to action.
Since the teaching methods employed in CRS
seemed to have denied students active participation in the learning process,
the question now becomes to what extent would students perform and retain
learned materials when taught CRS using constructive simulation? This gap in
knowledge underscores the need to investigate effect of teachers’ use of
constructive simulation on students’ achievement and retention in Christian
Religious Studies. Hence, a study of achievement and retention in the subject
CRS becomes desirable.
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