Abstract:
This research was primarily designed to help improve students’ academic performance in
naming organic compounds using molecular model set in Effiduase Senior High School
in the Sekyere East district of the Ashanti Region.
Experimental design was used for this study where the form three science classes were
put into two groups. Science one students formed the control group and were taught
using traditional approach while the science two students comprised the experimental
group and were taught using the molecular model set. An independent-sample t-test
analysis was used to analyse the scores from the tests to show the impact of molecular
model set teaching strategy on students’ academic performance. The mean value of the
pre-intervention test was 25.32 (SD=2.659) and that of the post-intervention test was
36.02 (SD=4.51). The mean values showed that there was an improvement in the
academic performance of the students in the experimental group. In the independent sample T-test, the p-value (p= 0.000 <0.05), meaning that there was a significant
difference in academic performance between the students in the experimental group and
that of the control group. The performance of gender was also checked and the results
from this study showed that in both the pre-and post-tests for both experimental and
control group, the male students performed better in all aspect of the tests. The
independent sample t-test analysis gave a p-value of 0.000 (=0.05) showing that there
was statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the male students and
the mean scores of the female students. It was concluded that the use of molecular model
set teaching approaches should be integrated into teaching of challenging chemistry
concepts at the senior high school level in Ghana.
Description:
Dissertation submitted to the Department of Science Education, Faculty of Science
Education, to the School of Graduate Studies, University of Education, Winneba, in
partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of a MASTER OF EDUCATION
DEGREE in Science EDUCATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION,
WINNEBA.
OCTOBER, 2015