Abstract:
The primary focus of the study was to determine the effectiveness of concept mapping
and cooperative learning as instructional approaches on students’ performance in
excretion. It was also to explore the extent to which concept mapping and cooperative
learning as instructional approaches improved students’ conception in excretion.The
quasi-experimental design of non-equivalent pre-test-intervention-post-test with two
intact biology classes was employed. Purposive sampling technique was used to select
76 SHS 2 students. The instruments used for data collection were Achievement Tests
(General Knowledge in Biology Performance Test (GKBPT)) and Students’ Performance
Test in Excretion (SPTE) with K-R 20 reliability coefficients of 0.812 and 0.866
respectively, class exercises and homework/assignments. Point Biserial Correlation,
Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, effect size, chi-square and ANCOVA test were employed to
analyse the quantitative data collected through the students’ achievement score. The
study showed that the students taught with concept mapping approach and their
counterparts taught with co-operative learning approach had significant improvement in
the performance of the achievement test in excretion, however there was no significant
difference in the performance of the two groups. The result rather indicated that the use
of co-operative learning as an instructional approach made students perform
homogenously in the post-test than the concept mapping instructional approach. The
study indicated that there was no statistically significant relationship between the
instructional approach the students received and their correct conceptions of excretion.
Based on these results, educational implications for classroom practices as well as
recommendations and suggestions for further studies were made.
Description:
A Thesis in the Department of SCIENCE EDUCATION, Faculty of SCIENCE
EDUCATION, submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, University of
Education, Winneba in partial fulfilment of the requirements for award of the
Master of Philosophy in Science Education Degree.
OCTOBER, 2016