The Relative Effectiveness of Three Evaluation Techniques on Academic Performance of Secondary School Integrated Science Students in Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined relative effectiveness of three evaluation techniques on academic performance of secondary school students in integrated science (I.SC) in Ondo State, Nigeria.  It is a quasi-experimental research of the counterbalanced design type.  The 300 students that formed the sample were selected from two purposively selected local government areas from two Senatorial Districts of Ondo State on the basis of rural/urban location.  Three schools with three intact classes were selected from each of the rural and urban centers using stratified random sampling technique.  Fifty students whose Cumulative Continuous Assessment (CCA) records showed an average score ranging between 30-45 were selected from each intact class using simple random sampling technique.  Scores from locally standardized I.SC. Multiple choice achievement test and CCA of the participants between 2009-2011 served as database for the study.  Data collected for the study were analysed sing ANOVA.  The results showed that; there is significant difference in the performance of students exposed to closed book, open book and open time techniques of evaluation learning outcome in I.SC.  It also revealed that students’ performance in I.SC was better in closed book than open book and open time techniques while open book was better than open time technique.  It also showed that interaction of location and evaluating techniques did produce significant effect on secondary school students’ learning outcome.  Based on the findings, it was recommended that teachers and examining bodies should compliment closed book technique of evaluating learning outcome with open book technique to  reduce students’ cheating behaviours, anxiety and  examination phobia.

Keywords: Relative effectiveness, Closed book, Open book, Open time, Evaluation techniques, Location, interaction, Integrated Science.