EFFECT OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING METHOD ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN ELECTROCHEMISTRY

Abstract

The study investigated the effect of problem-based learning method (PBLM) on secondary school students’ academic achievement in electrochemistry in Anambra State, Nigeria. Two research questions guided the study and two null hypotheses were posited and tested at 0.05 level of significant.  A quasi-experimental, specifically pretest posttest non-equivalent control group design was adopted. The population comprised 5057 Senior Secondary two (SS 2) chemistry students in public secondary schools in Awka education zone of Anambra state. A sample size of 88 SS 2 chemistry students from two intact classes of two school were selected for the study using purposive and simple random sampling technique. The experimental group was instructed via Problem-based learning method (PBLM) while the control group was taught using conventional lecture method (CLM). Electrochemistry Achievement Test (EAT) was used as instrument for data collection. Reliability coefficient of 0.87 was obtained for EAT using Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20). Mean and standard deviations were used to answer the research questions while analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings of the study revealed that students exposed to PBLM had a higher mean achievement score than those taught with the CLM in their posttest. The study also revealed that there is no significant difference in the mean achievement scores between male and female students taught electrochemistry using PBLM. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that chemistry teachers incorporate PBLM into their instructional practices to promote meaningful learning of electrochemistry concept, as it yielded better learning outcomes than the lecture-based method.