SOURCE:

Faculty: Education
Department: Vocational Education

CONTRIBUTORS:

Okotubu, J.O;
Eze, T.I;

ABSTRACT:

The need to improve students’ academic achievement in auto mechanics technology necessitated this study. The study determined the effect of cognitive apprenticeship instructional method on students’ academic achievement, retention and interest in auto mechanics technology in technical colleges in Delta State. Six research questions guided the study and six null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted quasi-experimental research design. Specifically, the pre-test post-test non-equivalent control group experimental design was used. Population of the study was 237 vocational II auto mechanic students in the six technical colleges in Delta State. A sample of 114 was used for the study. The purposive sampling technique was used to draw the sample size. Instruments for data collection were Auto Mechanic Achievement Test (AMAT) and Auto Mechanic Interest Inventory (AMII). The instruments were validated by three experts (two from Technology and Vocational Education Department and one from measurement and evaluation unit of Educational Foundation Department, all in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The reliability coefficient of Auto Mechanics Achievement Test (AMAT) was established using Kunder Richardson 21 Formula. While the reliability coefficient of Auto Mechanics Interest Inventory (AMII) was established using Cronbach Alpha, and the reliability coefficients of 0.75 and 0.81 were obtained respectively. Arithmetic mean was used to analyse data relating to research questions, while analysis of covariance ANCOVA was used to test the null hypotheses. Findings revealed that students taught auto mechanics technology using cognitive apprenticeship instructional method achieved and retained better than those taught with demonstration method. Also findings revealed that the interest of students taught auto mechanics technology using cognitive apprenticeship instructional method was higher than those taught with demonstration method. Conclusion was drawn that cognitive apprenticeship instructional method is an effective mode of instruction with capacity to improving students learning outcome. Consequently, it was recommended among others that technical teachers should use cognitive apprenticeship instructional method in teaching auto mechanics course so as to enhance students’ academic achievement, knowledge retention and boost their interest for auto mechanics course.