Improvement of students’ performance on titrimetric analyses in Breman Asikuma Senior High School using student team achievement division A case study

Abstract

This study sought to improve the performance of students on titrimetric analysis in Breman Asikuma Senior High School using student team achievement division. It was also intended to find out the views of the students on the use of the STAD to teach titrimetric analyses and also find the differences in the performance of male and female students on titrimetric analyses using the STAD as the intervention. The study was a case study design using the action research approach. The sample for the study was ninety-five (95) second year chemistry students in two intact classes using purposive sampling technique. Achievement tests (pre-intervention, intervention and post-intervention tests), informal interview and questionnaire were used as data collecting instruments and the intervention tool used was the STAD. The instruments were pilot –tested to establish the reliability coefficient and were validated by the research supervisor in the Department of Science Education, University of Education, Winneba as well as some other departmental lecturers and experienced chemistry teachers in Breman Asikuma SHS. The scores obtained from the achievement tests were analysed using Excel spread sheet and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20 to find out the level of achievement of students after the intervention. Overall findings of the study showed among others that the students had difficulties in some scientific terminologies associated with titrimetric analyses, use of indicators, and manual skills acquisition in titrimetric analyses. There was a great improvement in the performance of the students in general and that of the females over the male students after the intervention as they performed better in the post-intervention test than the pre-intervention test; the students had an overall positive perception concerning the use of the STAD as a teaching and learning technique. It was recommended among others that interested researchers could conduct research into the relative effectiveness of use of the STAD in teaching chemistry topics or teachers incorporate it in any other method of teaching in order for the students in the school to reap the benefit.