Effect of Concept Mapping Instructional Strategy on Secondary School Students’ Achievement in Physics

Abstract

This study investigated the Effect of Concept Mapping Instructional Strategy (CMIS) on Senior Secondary two (SS II) Students’ Achievement in Physics. The purpose was to ascertain how impactful concept mapping as an instructional strategy can improve students understanding of physics concepts. A quasi-experiment of the pre-test, post-test non-equivalence control group research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised Senior secondary two (SS 2) students numbering 10,206 from all the 78 public secondary schools in Abakaliki education zone of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The sample of the study comprised 93 students (54 males and 39 females) drawn from 4 randomly sample schools from the four local government areas in the zone. Physics Achievement Test (PAT) with reliability coefficients of 0.75 was used as instruments for data collection while Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 95% confidence level. The results revealed that CMIS significantly enhanced the mean achievement scores of the students in physics more than the conventional chalk and talk method. Findings further revealed that there is no significant difference between the mean achievement scores of male and female students taught physics using CMIS. While the interaction between the methods and gender on the students mean achievement scores in physics was not statistically significant. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that physics teachers should prioritise the use of CMIS since it has been proved to have a significant positive effect on the academic achievement of secondary school students in physics.

Key words: Concept mapping instructional strategy, physics and achievement in physics.

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/15-7-12

Publication date: June 30th 2024