In Kano State, Nigeria, The Effects Of Cooperative Instructional Strategies On The Performance Of Secondary School Students In Geography

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue III, March 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186

In Kano State, Nigeria, The Effects Of Cooperative Instructional Strategies On The Performance Of Secondary School Students In Geography

Zubairu Suleiman Abubakar Ph.D¹, Ogunlade Bamidele Olusola Ph.D², IBRAHIM BALA^3
1,3 Department of Educational Foundation and Curriculum ABU, Zaria, Nigeria
² Department of Educational Technology
Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science, and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti ogunlade, Nigeria

ABSTRACT
The impacts of cooperative instructional methodologies (think-pair-share and Student Teams-Achievement Divisions) on secondary school students’ performance in geography in Kano State, Nigeria were explored. The study used a pre-and post-test quasi-experimental design. A total of four intact classes from two senior secondary schools in the Nassrawa Educational Zone of Kano State, Nigeria, were used to collect data. For the study, three research questions and three hypotheses were developed. For data collection, the researcher used two instruments: the Geography pre-diagnostic test and the Geography post-diagnostic test. To answer research questions, mean and standard deviation were employed, and hypotheses were tested using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with pre-test scores as covariates to correct for the sample’s baseline differences. A partial eta squared value of 0.017 suggested a substantial association between the pre-test and post-test scores on the Geography Performance Test. The findings showed that therapy had a significant negative impact on students’ performance (t(93) =-0.633, p=0.528) and (t(93) = 1.415, p=0.160).Based on the findings, it was suggested that geography teachers engage in collaboration in which students are held accountable for each other’s achievements. There are no gender differences between the two tactics. Students who were taught using the think-pair-share and student team accomplishment division methodologies outperformed those who were taught using the traditional method.

Introduction

It is thought that the process of teaching and learning has existed since the beginning of time. Facilitation and careful management of students’ learning were key components of this approach. Students’ interest in the information being taught, the methods, and the resources used by the teachers should be piqued through meaningful teaching and learning activities (Abimbola, 2001). For many years, several teaching pedagogies have been employed in the effort to provide a medium through which students can acquire appropriate knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values. Despite the adoption of a variety of instructional methodologies, students continue to struggle in a variety of topics, including Geography. Many students have withdrawn from geography classroom activities as a result of their failure. Which eventually led to the low academic performance of secondary school students, particularly in Kano state, with a significant impact on students’ geographic awareness.
Only 23.09 percent of students had credits in geography, according to the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) result summary by Subject (2019). There are efforts underway to find a remedy to the high percentage of failure among students in Senior Secondary Schools. One such endeavor focuses on the topic of instructional approaches, which has sparked a variety of studies. Students’ poor exam performance, according to Adamu and Usman (2014), is mostly due to the employment of ineffective teaching methods. Teaching methods, according to Abdul (2007), are the methods by which a teacher instructs students to pass on knowledge. Lectures, discussions, and demonstrations are some of the most popular techniques.
In the 16th century, the term “conventional mode of teaching” was originally used to denote oral instruction given by a teacher in front of a group of students. It primarily entails an educator giving a group of pupils an oral presentation. This strategy is the most practical and makes the most sense, especially in larger classrooms. In Nigeria, it is fundamental to teaching at all levels. According to Abidoye and Oguniyi (2012), the traditional teaching style is arguably the best teaching method in many situations and for many students, particularly when it comes to communicating conceptual knowledge. When giving current information, summarizing content, customizing material to the background and interests of a specific set of students, and focusing on major concepts, principles, or ideas, the lecture style is the most effective (McKeachie & Svinicki, 2014). Furthermore, according to Akinlaye (2010) and Ogunlade (2019) delivering too much content for a specific class is one of the most significant hurdles to an effective traditional technique. Overburdening pupils’ information processing capability to the point of frustration and abandonment is an easy pitfall to fall into. When fewer points are offered, students learn more effectively. However, questions have been raised about learner activation in the teaching and learning process. Most traditional teaching approaches rely on students’ ability to listen as they passively take facts from lectures or teachers (Adamu & Usman, 2014). Their ability to think critically, analyze information, communicate effectively, and collaborate is unaffected. The interactive pedagogy of cooperative learning was born from an attempt to maximize students’ learning abilities beyond listening capabilities.

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