CONCEPT MAPPING STRATEGY AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN INTEGRATED SCIENCE
ABSTRACT: This study investigated concept mapping strategy and academic performance of student in Integrated Science. Two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. An experimental research design was adopted. The population of the study was all JSS2 Integrated Science Students from the study area. Random sampling was used to select 100 students from five selected secondary school. The instrument used for data collection was Integrated Science Achievement Test (ISAT). The data collected were analyzed using independent t-test.
The result of the investigation shows that students taught with concept mapping strategy performed significantly better than those taught with lecture method. Male students taught Integrated Science using concept mapping performed better than female students taught using concept mapping. It was recommended among others that, Integrated Science Teacher should learn and used concept mapping as instructional strategy as a mean of improving student academic achievement in school.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Scientist and science educators over the years have been focusing attention on how to improve science teaching in school by going beyond the stereotypic method of obtaining knowledge in science.
There has been emphasis in science teaching and on students’ active involvement in doing science. Integrated science is an experimental science which study involves exploration of relationship between theory and experiment.
However, the country’s desire to achieving the objects of scientific and technological development has given rise to seek for appropriate ways of teaching science subjects hence, teachers has been found to be a very important factor in the complementation of any curriculum (Okeye, 2003 & Mush, 2002). Kupurgban (2010) asserted that, the integrated science teachers should therefore be equipped with the right teaching strategies for effective learning to take place.
Learning is a purposeful, conscious and complete integrative system including environmental, social, emotional, and cognitive factors (Baron, 2010). Various teaching-learning strategies have been developed to accelerate learning process of students.
CONCEPT MAPPING STRATEGY AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN INTEGRATED SCIENCE
Concept mapping is a process of constructing concept maps, it involves mapped out logical relationship among concept in hierarchical order. Concept maps are diagram indicating inter-relationship among concept as representation of meaning or educational framework specific to a domain of knowledge (Novak, 2015), Okebukola (2014) believed that, maps can be applied to any subject matter or to any level within the subject.
Concept mapping was introduced by Novak of Cornell University and his collaborators in the late 70s., it is based on Ausubel’s theory of subsumption of new ideas or concept into the organized structure, a pre-existing knowledge.
Most students in junior secondary schools in Nigeria who are offering or writing integrated science examination in their junior Waec, out of 1,211,101 students only 900 have credit, which is very alarming.
Okebukola (2015) also reports that between 2002-2006 only about 25% of the candidates passed at credit level. However, researchers have blamed the poor state of integrated science teaching and students’ performance on factors such as, lack of qualified teachers and inadequate of practical work.
However, there is an obvious tendency that practical scientific method such as concept mapping is mixed up with theory during teaching in the extent that the effort, defrost theoretical understanding of integrated science concept. It is against this background that the researcher affects academic performance of junior secondary school students in integrated science.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
This study sought to investigate the extent to which concept mapping determines students’ academic performance in junior secondary schools in integrated science in Abak Local Government Area. However, the experience of poor performance and participation in integrated science among students in junior secondary school seems to be a national and alarming as well.
Science teachers have applied various methods and strategies like discovery, questioning, field trips, lecture and discussion for teaching integrated science yet performance in our junior secondary school integrated science is still poor and at alarming rate (Akinsola & Lawe, 2012).
Therefore, curriculum is an outcry from parents, teachers, curriculum planners sector about the deteriorating performance in both internal and external examinations in Nigeria.To this end, concept mapping strategy could be an approach to effective teaching of integrated science, which will enhance students’ achievement.
This study seeks to investigate the effect of concepts of mapping and students’ academic performance in integrated science.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to find out ways in which concept mapping strategy could influence students’ academic performance in Integrated Science. Specifically, the study was designed to:
- Determine the difference between the academic performance of students taught using concept mapping strategy and those taught with lecture method.
- Determine the difference in the academic performance of students in integrated science by gender taught concept mapping strategy.
1.4 Significance of the Study
Parents and guardians are always interested in their wards academic performance in school. This is because, it is through a child level of performance that parents or guardians get to know how much or less their children perform.
- Therefore, this study will enable parents, school administrators, curriculum developers and stakeholders to have a better objective assessment of actual teaching method to be used that enhance students success or failure in school.
- The study will also be significant to the students in the sense that, students will be able to link new information that will help them in illustrating the inter-connection between individual concept.
- Furthermore, this study will be significant to the curriculum implementers, to use it as an instructional strategy to promote meaningful learning and teaching in the schools.
- This study will also serve as a springboard upon which other related researchers could make reference to.
1.5 Research Hypotheses
To guide the study, the following hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance:
- There is no significant difference between the academic performance of students taught with concept mapping strategies and those taught with lecture method.
- There is no significant difference in the academic performance of students in integrated science by gender taught using concept mapping strategy.
1.6 Limitation of the Study
This study is limited to the concept mapping strategy and students’ academic performance in integrated science in the study area. Whereas in a situation the research would have covered all junior secondary schools in the study area, but the study is limited to some selected integrated science schools.
Thus, it would also be justified if other group of individuals are sampled and studied, but using to the storage of time and limited period by which the study is scheduled to be carried out coupled with financial constraint of the researcher or in-depth and penetrating this study could be carried out.
1.7 Delimitation of the Study
The research work is delimited to the effect of concept mapping strategies in students’ performance in integrated science and only Junior Secondary School 2 for 2020/2021 academic session were used in the study.
Originally posted on May 24, 2021 @ 5:52 pm
