EFFECT OF SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENTATION ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PHYSICS PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITY IN WAVES.

Abstract

The problem of poor secondary school Physics students’ problem-solving abilities in waves necessitated the study. The effect of scientific argumentation on secondary school Physics students’ problem-solving ability in waves. Two research questions and two hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significant guided the study. A quasi-experimental Pre-test, Posttest, non-equivalent control group design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted of 1681 SS11 Physics students. A sample of 132 SS11 Physics students was drawn through simple random sampling techniques from two (2) co-educational schools in Nsukka education zone was used for the study. Simple random sampling technique by balloting method was used to select two schools from co-education schools because gender is a variable in the study. The two schools were assigned to experimental and control groups. Two intact classes in each school were randomly selected. The experimental group was taught waves using scientific argumentation and the control group was taught waves using lecture method. The instrument for data collection were Pre-Problem Solving Test (Pre-PST) and Post-PST. The instrument PST were trial-tested in 24 SS11 students of Igbo-Etiti Secondary School Ikolo which was outside the zone of the sampled schools. The data collected from PST were tested using Kuder-Richardon (K-R 20) with a reliability index of 0.87 were obtained which granted the use of the instrument for the study. Mean and standard deviation scores were used to answer the research questions while analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significant. The result of data analysis showed that scientific argumentation is superior to lecture in facilitating students’ development problem-solving abilities. There was no significant difference in mean problem-solving scores of male and female SS11 Physics students after the treatment. The result of the study also revealed that students taught Physics using scientific argumentation strategy had higher mean problem-solving scores than their counterparts taught with lecture method.  In line with the findings of the study, the educational implications of the findings were highlighted and the recommendations equally proffered. Physics teachers, and authors of Physics textbooks should adopt scientific argumentation when teaching or writing of textbook to enhance students’ acquisition of problem-solving ability for an improve performance.