Abstract:
The researcher employed cooperative instructional approaches as alternative teaching
approaches involving selected Diaso Senior High chemistry students to determine whether
the students would gain understanding of redox reaction content better than their
counterparts who did not receive this teaching method. The study was conducted using the
2013/2014 and 2014/2015 academic third year students with the 2013/2014 academic year
students receiving the traditional lecture method and the 2014/2015 year students receiving
the cooperative instructional approach method. The sample size was 64 of which 29 were in
the control group and 35 students in the experimental group. The control group was made up
of 4 girls and 25 boys and the experimental group was made up of 7 girls and 28 boys. The
mean age for both groups was 18.1 years with standard deviation of 1.22. The research
design was of the quasi experimental in which mixed methods of qualitative and quantitative
methods were used to analyse data. Test, interviews and questionnaires were the instruments
used to gather data. Percentages of students of experimental group who responded correctly
to the test items were compared to percentages of students of control groups who responded
correctly to test items. The post-test mean scores of the experimental and control groups
were compared to see if there was any difference in their mean scores. It was found that the
mean post-test score of the experimental group was higher than the mean post-test score of
the control group. The experimental group students‘ learning attitudes towards cooperative
instructional approaches were also investigated using a questionnaire. Based on the analysis
of the questionnaires, it was found that the experimental group students developed positive
attitudes towards cooperative instructional approaches. Based on the findings of this
research, it was recommended that the Ghana education service organize workshops to
introduce SHS science teachers to cooperative instructional approaches. Additionally, it was
suggested that studies be conducted on various aspects of the problem investigation in this
study.
Description:
A DISSERTATION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION, FACULTY
OF SCIENCE EDUCATION, SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF RESEARCH AND
GRADUATE STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA, IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF EDUCATION IN SCIENCE.
DECEMBER, 2014