EFFECT OF SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC ON COLLEGE OF EDUCATION CHEMISTRY STUDENTS’ SELF-EFFICACY AND ACHIEVEMENT IN REDOX REACTIONS

SOURCE:

Faculty: Education
Department: Science Education

CONTRIBUTORS:

Madichie, C. J;
Akuezuilo, E.O;

ABSTRACT:

This study focused on the effect of science writing heuristic on College of Education chemistry students’ self-efficacy and achievement in redox reactions. Eight research questions and eight hypotheses guided the study. The study utilized a quasi-experimental design having non-equivalent control group with a 2x2x3 factorial design. The sample comprised one hundred and twenty-five second year chemistry students in two Colleges of Education in Anambra state. Two instruments were used for data collection namely the Achievement Test on Redox Reactions (ATORR) and Questionnaire on Students Ability to Do Science (QSADS). The reliability of the ATORR was determined using Kuder-Richardson formular 21 (K-R 21) while Cronbach’s alpha was used to determine the reliability of QSADS which yielded the coefficients of 0.80 and 0.84 respectively. Mean and standard deviations were used to answer the research questions while the Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses at P˂0.05. The findings showed that the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) was effective in enhancing achievement in chemistry. The results showed a significant difference in the mean achievement scores of students taught redox reactions using SWH and those taught using conventional laboratory instructional approach. No significant difference was found in the achievement of male and female students as well as students of different ability levels. There was no significant difference in the science self-efficacy of students in the experimental and control groups and no significant difference was found in the science self-efficacy of male and female students. No significant interaction effect was found between treatment and gender on the achievement of students and no significant interaction effect was found between treatment and ability level on the achievement of students. No significant interaction effect was seen among treatment, gender and ability level. The researcher recommended that teachers shift from traditional laboratory practices to a more student centered inquiry laboratory instructional approach using the SWH. It was also recommended that teacher education programmes should train students to use instructional approaches that are inquiry based so that they can apply this in their science teaching.

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