EFFECTS OF CONSTRUCTIVIST INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL ON JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT AND INTEREST IN SOCIAL STUDIES

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ABSTRACT

This  study investigated  the effects  of constructivist  instructional  model on junior secondary

school students’  achievement  and  interest  in  Social  Studies. The  study adopted  the pretest, posttest, non-randomized and non-equivalent control group quasi experimental design. The population of the study comprised the 14,987 JSS II students in Agbani education zone of Enugu state. The sample of the study comprised 290 students drawn from six coeducational secondary schools out  of the existing  45  public  secondary  schools  in  Agbani  education  zone  through stratified random sampling technique. The instruments for data collection were Social Studies Achievement  Test  (SSAT)  and  Social  Studies  Interest  Inventory  (SSII)  developed  by  the researcher and subjected to content and construct validation respectively. The reliability of SSAT and SSII were established using test-retest method and the measures obtained were 0.67 and 0.93 respectively.  The  researcher  developed  two  instructional  packages  for  the  study.  The  first package was based on the constructivist instructional model. The second package was based on the conventional  instructional  method. Measures were  taken  to control extraneous  variables. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the four research questions while analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA) was used to test the six hypotheses. The results of the study revealed that: the JSS students taught Social Studies using constructivist instructional model performed significantly  better than  their counterparts  who were  taught using the conventional  teaching method; the female students taught JSS Social Studies using constructivist instructional model performed slightly better than the male students; the constructivist instructional model enhanced JSS students’ interest in Social Studies more than conventional teaching method; and the female students after being taught JSS Social Studies using constructivist  instructional model had a significantly higher mean interest score than their male counterparts. There was no significant interaction effect of teaching methods and gender on students mean achievement and interest scores  in  Social  Studies.  Based  on  these  findings  it  was  recommended  that  Social  Studies teachers should be encouraged to use constructivist instructional model during classroom instruction in order to enhance students’ achievement and interest in Social Studies.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Social  Studies  is  one  of the  core  subjects  at  the basic  education  level  in  Nigeria  (Federal Republic  of Nigeria, 2004). The fact that Social Studies enjoys the status of a core subject implies that it is perceived as a very important subject worthy of being studied by all students in Nigeria (Mkpa, 2001). This perceived importance derives from the potentials of the subject for achieving certain goals of education in the country. The extent to which the subject succeeds in achieving the desired goals depends, to a large extent, on the degree to which teachers of Social Studies possess the right conception of the subject. This is because the conception of the subject determines how it is taught as well as the objectives to be achieved through it.

Social Studies as a school subject has attracted various definitions from authors and educators. Kissock in Umeh (2002:36) defines Social Studies as “a programme of study, which a society uses to instill in students  the knowledge,  skills, attitudes  and  actions  it considers  important concerning the relationship human beings have with each other, their world and themselves”. The emphasis here is on the needs of the society and the relationship between human beings and their environment. This may explain why Igba (2004:15) defined Social Studies as:

a discipline that concerns itself with learning about people, how and where they live, how they form and structure  societies, how they govern  themselves  and provide for their material and psychological needs, how and why they love and hate each other, how they use and misuse the resources of the planet that is their home.

This definition focuses on man and his physical and social environments. According to Bozimo and Ikwumelu (2000:40):

Social  Studies  is  a formalized,  correlated  or integrated  study of man  and  his environment  which  involves  the  learner  with  the  cognition,  skills,  values,

attitudes, abilities and competencies that will enable him become an informed rational, analytical, participative and functional citizen.

In addition to the above definitions, the researcher views Social Studies within the context of this study as an integrated and multidisciplinary course of study based on man’s interaction with his physical and social environments.

Having examined what Social Studies is, it has become pertinent to discuss its importance. In Nigeria,  Social  Studies  Association  of  Nigeria  (SOSSAN)  developed  some  general  basic objectives  adopted  from those  suggested  by the African  Social Studies  Programme  (ASSP). These objectives of Social Studies include to:

–   Help the learner fit into the society to which he belongs;

–    Create an understanding of the evolving social and physical environment; its nature, man- made, cultural and spiritual resources together with the rational use and conservation of these resources for development;

–    Develop an awareness and appreciation of the inter-relatedness of human knowledge and human life;

–   Develop the capacity for logical thinking and sound rational judgments;

–    Develop the capacity to learn and acquire skills essential to the formation of satisfactory professional life and further studies;

–    Develop in the students the positive attitudes to citizenship and desire to make positive personal contribution to the creation of a prosperous and united Nigeria and;

–    Make the students aware of the problems of their country and of the world in general and to develop in them a sympathetic appreciation of the diversity and independence of all members of the local community and of the wider nation and international communities.

The researcher discovered that these objectives are in harmony with the national educational aims and objectives as stated in the National Policy on Education.

In spite of the above laudable objectives of Social Studies, the teaching of the subject has not been quite satisfactory (Utulu, Ezegbe & Shaibu, 2012). The teaching of the subject is beset with numerous problems. These include lack of qualified teachers and non-availability and use of instructional  materials   such   as  useful   textbooks   especially  those   written   with   Nigerian environment in mind. Others include poor teaching methods and learning environment such as inappropriate  instructional  methods  especially  in  secondary  schools  (Okoro,  2001).  These problems  could  have  resulted  in  the  sharp  decline  in  students’  interest,  knowledge  and performance in Social Studies in junior secondary schools over the past years (2010 – 2014). Data in relevant governmental agency (Examination Development Centre, Enugu) reveal that the performance of students at the junior secondary school certificate examination in Social Studies have remained poor (See Table 1).

Table 1: Statistics of Entries and Performance of Students in Social Studies in Junior Secondary

School Certificate Examination in Enugu State for 2010 – 2014.

YearFailOrdinary PassCreditDistinctionTotal  No.  of Students
201054%29%16%1%(100%) 35,861
201153%27%19%1%(100%) 37,052
201259%30%10%1%(100%) 39,648
201361%24%15%0%(100%) 41,138
201452%27%20%1%(100%) 43,264

Source: Examination Development Centre, Enugu.

Table 1 shows that the junior secondary school students’ achievements in social studies for the years of 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 were poor and have been a source of worry to the researcher. For instance 35,861 students took the 2010 junior secondary school certificate examination  (JSSCE) in Enugu state. Analysis of the students’ achievement shows that 54% failed social studies totally in the JSSCE examination, 29% secured ordinary pass, while 16% passed at credit level. On the other hand 1% passed at distinction level.

This unabated poor performance of students in Social Studies especially at the junior secondary school level in Enugu State has led to some concern over the effectiveness of the instructional methods being adopted in teaching the subject. There is therefore the need to shift emphasis from the present traditional/conventional methods of teaching Social Studies such as the lecture and discussion to those that can impact the necessary knowledge and skills comprehensively (Enem,

2003).

The concern of the researcher has been on how to enhance students’ achievement and interest in Social Studies. This is important as Oganwu (2004) noted that the contribution of Social Studies to the training of students for the world of work depends on how the subject is taught. Obviously, the method used by a teacher to teach the students goes a long way to determine the level of achievement  and  interest they will exhibit. Most conventional  teaching methods  are teacher centered and emphasize rote memorization of facts and procedures. The conventional methods of teaching include lecture, discussion etc and they are all teacher centered and emphasize rote memorization  of facts (Mezieobi and Mezieobi, 2012). It is therefore, important to examine teaching methods that will enable students to improve their learning by making meaning out of

what they learn and which also accommodate various students’ learning styles. This calls for innovative teaching method.

Innovative  teaching  methods have  been  identified  in  teaching  to  foster meaningful  learning among students by making them actively involved in the learning process (Mezieobi, Fubara and Mezieobi, 2008). Some of the innovative teaching methods are: cooperative learning, concept mapping  and constructivism.  Constructivism  is one  of the innovative  teaching  methods  that improve learning and surmount the problem of rote learning. At this juncture, it will be pertinent to investigate how constructivist instructional model will improve students’ achievement and interest in Social Studies.

Constructivist instructional model involves the active participation of students as the teaching goes on. This instructional model is based on the constructivist learning theory. The theoretical framework of constructivism holds that learning always builds upon knowledge that a student already has, this prior knowledge is called schema. This is because all learning are filtered by the pre-existing schemata, constructivists suggest that learning is more effective when a student is actively engaged in the learning process rather than attempting to receive knowledge passively (Igwe, 2003).

Central to the constructivist perspective is the premise that the learner constructs meaning from new information and events as a result of an interaction between that individual’s alternative concepts and his or her current observations. Some existing knowledge or prior ideas have been described  as  misconceptions  (Mkpa,  2001),  alternative  framework  (Ikwumelu,  2001)  and children’s early experience (Akubuilo, 2007). Students’ prior ideas or knowledge therefore is a

source of alternative conceptions or perception possessed by them before a formal instruction takes place. Mgboro (2004) observed that students of all ages develop and refine ideas about phenomena and then tenaciously hold unto these ideas as eternal truths. This means that even in the fact of “authentic” intervention and “hard” data that challenge their views, learners typically adhere staunchly to their original notions.

Constructivism is therefore a set of beliefs about knowing and learning that emphasize the active role  of  learners  in  constructing  their  own  knowledge  with  new  experience  (Ibe,  2012). Continuing, Mgboro (2004) explained that although knowledge construction can be facilitated by instruction,   it   is   not   the   direct   consequence   of   instruction.   Aguokogbuo   (2000)   sees constructivism as an epistemology of how people learn. It describes how one attains, develops and uses cognitive  processes.  It is based on the  fundamental  assumption  that people create knowledge from the interaction between their existing knowledge or beliefs and new ideas or situations they encounter.

Constructivism   is  a  model  which  holds   that  knowledge   is  personally  constructed   and reconstructed by the learner based on his or her prior knowledge and experiences. Agomuoh (2010) explains a constructivist based method of teaching as that method which aims at assisting the child to reconstruct and restructure his or her conception on the basis of confrontation with conceptualized  evidence.  Constructivism  is  therefore,  problem  solving  oriented.  It  allows students  to explore or work in  groups, making meaning of tasks  and  setting out to  solving problems that are perplexing.

Owoso (2009) asserts that a constructivist practice requires teachers to place students in more central position in the whole instructional programme. This means that students’ ideas should form the basis for discussion and investigation in the classroom. Owoso also emphasized that constructivist teacher should behave in an interactive manner, mediating the environment for students. Also, the teacher should seek students’ point of view in order to understand students’ present conception (entry behavior) for use in subsequent lessons.

Nwabah (2013) opined that constructivist instructional model is a learner centered method in which the learner plays active role in assimilating knowledge onto his or her existing mental framework. The ability of students to apply their school learned knowledge to the real world is valued over memorizing bits and pieces of knowledge that may seem unrelated to them. The researcher is of the opinion that the constructivist instructional model requires the teacher to relinquish his or her role as a sole information dispenser and instead to continually analyze his or her curriculum planning and instructional methodologies.

Research evidence (Oganwu, 2004), reveals that there is a very low interest in Social Studies among junior secondary school students. Interest, according to Okoli (2008) is the preference for particular type of activities, which is the tendency to seek out and participate in certain activities. Omebe  (2001)  defined  interest  as  an  expression  of  likeness  or  dislikeness  which  plays  a significant role in learning all subjects. It is therefore the zeal or willingness to participate in any activity from which one derives some pleasure. Thus, if a student is interested in Social Studies, it means that he chooses to spend time studying it. Okoli (2008) observed that students’ interest is closely associated  with their achievement. Research evidence  (Oganwu, 2004) shows that one’s success in Social Studies is influenced by his interest in it. Thus, interest of students in

Social studies could be improved when they are taught Social Studies using innovative and more effective teaching method.

In Social Studies, the contention has not been about teaching methods only. It has also been about gender differences vis-a-vis the ability of male and female students to utilize any teaching method effectively. According to Nnamani and Audu (2005) gender refers to the many socially and  or  culturally  constructed  characteristics,  qualities,  behavior  and  roles  which  different societies ascribe to males and females. This involves all the characteristics of men and women which a particular society has determined and assigned to each sex.  Mbakwem and Mkpa (2003) argued  that  teaching  methods  are  gender  sensitive  and  may influence  the  achievement  and interest of male and female students differently in Social Studies. They held that while a number of teaching methods are masculine oriented, others tend to be feminine oriented. Hence, they believe that because of the strenuous nature of some of the teaching methods, the female students find it difficult to cope. These according to them are some of the reasons male students perform better in some aspects of Social Studies than the females. They advocated that a departure from the traditional teaching methods and the adoption of the constructivist instructional model would blend the masculinity of some traditional teaching methods with the feminist model to produce a more sustainable and less gender biased instruction.

Although the current emphasis has been on students’ achievement and interest in Social Studies, it is, however, widely believed that students achievement and interest in any subject is a function of instruction.  Approaches  to  instruction,  therefore,  are  considered  serious  factors  in  Social Studies education in Nigeria (Njoku, 2000).

However, the efficacy of a number of teaching methods has been experimented upon. The impact of constructivist instructional model on students’ mastery of units of instruction in Social Studies is still in doubt. In the same vein, because some traditional teaching methods are gender based (Ezema, 2001), the assumption is that careful use of the constructivist instructional model may have fascinating implications in Social Studies instruction. The growing need for an effective instructional procedure which permits a better appreciation of Social Studies constitute the basis for this study. While it has not been substantiated that the current poor performance and interest of students in Social Studies examinations is as a result of the current traditional approach to social studies instruction, the extent to which the adoption of the constructivist  instructional model could enhance students achievement and interest in Social Studies is still an issue that needs to be subjected to empirical investigations.

Statement of the Problem

The achievement of students in the junior secondary school certificate examination  in Social Studies in Nigeria is unsatisfactory. This state of affairs is undoubtedly not encouraging and constitutes  a source of worry to major stakeholders  in the education sector such as parents, teachers and examination  bodies. However, it is not quite clear what is responsible  for this situation or trend. Many factors may be responsible for this poor achievement of students’ in the junior secondary school certificate examination in Social Studies. However, how constructivist instructional  model  can  improve  students’  achievement  and  interest  in  Social  Studies  in secondary schools is yet to be determined. Also, the effects of constructivist instructional model on  the achievement  and  interest of male  and  female students in  Social Studies  is yet to be investigated.  Therefore,  the  problem  of this  study  is: what  are  the  effects  of constructivist

instructional model on the male and female junior secondary school students’ achievement and interest in Social Studies?

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to determine the effects of constructivist instructional model on junior secondary school students’ achievement and interest in Social Studies. Specifically, the study seeks to:

1.   ascertain the differential effects of constructivist instructional model and conventional teaching method on junior secondary school students mean achievement scores in Social Studies.

2.   determine the effect of constructivist instructional model on the mean achievement scores of male and female students in JSS Social Studies.

3. find out the interaction effect of teaching methods and gender on students’ mean achievement scores in JSS Social Studies.

4.   ascertain the differential effects of constructivist instructional model and conventional teaching  method  on  junior secondary  school students  mean  interest  scores  in  Social Studies.

5.   determine the effect of constructivist instructional model on the mean interest scores of male and female students in JSS Social Studies.

6.   find out the interaction effect of teaching methods and gender on students’ mean interest scores in JSS Social Studies.

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will have a lot of theoretical and practical significance for Social Studies teaching and learning in Nigeria. Theoretically, the findings of this study will necessitate the use of different constructivist models in the explanation of students’ adequate involvement in their school learning and academic work. Furthermore, the results of the study will either lend support or otherwise refute the main claims in Bruner’s constructivist theory which argues that students construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences. This could be reframed to a positive outcome when used in Social Studies teaching and learning.

Practically, it is expected that the findings of this study will be useful to the following: students, teachers, author of Social Studies textbooks, curriculum planners and Ministry of Education. The results will be made available to them through seminars and journal articles.

To the students, the study could reveal that constructivist instructional model improves students’ achievement and interest in Social Studies. The students who receive instruction using constructivist instructional model would become better learners. This constructivist instructional model could help them to integrate and construct meaning from the texts as well as examine and extend the meaning of the texts as they bring the already existing schema to bear on what they read. When the students see relationship between their use of constructivist instructional model and their improved performance in Social Studies, they will be motivated to learn more. The students will develop interest and learn better since they know that the process of learning affects the product of learning. Their awareness of this process they used in learning would facilitate their transfer of this model across various tasks and settings. These students will therefore not

attribute their performance to luck or fate, but will rather see the need to adopt constructivism in their independent studies and in their preparations for examinations.

The findings of this study will be of immense benefit to Social Studies teachers in the sense that the use of constructivist instructional model by them will make teaching and learning of Social Studies easier and meaningful. It will also be helpful to Social Studies teachers in addressing gender issues in Social Studies class.

Authors of Social Studies textbooks will also benefit from the findings of this study. This is because  the  findings  of this  study  will  equip  the  authors  of Social  Studies  textbooks  with sufficient information on the constructivist instructional model and these authors may include information on this model in their Social Studies textbooks. Any textbook with sufficient guide on the use of the constructivist instructional model will be popular among students and their teachers whose task will be reduced.

The findings  of this study will be of importance  to curriculum  planners  since  they will be provided with information that may be useful in bringing effective innovation in teaching Social Studies.  It  will  also  enable  the  curriculum  planners  to  understand  the  need  to  enshrine constructivist  instructional  model  in  the  Social  Studies  curriculum  modules  as  one  of  the teaching methods.

The Ministry of Education will find this study useful. The findings of this study will be useful to them in organizing conferences, seminars and workshops to sensitize and retrain Social Studies teachers  on  the  use  of  constructivist  instructional  model  to  improve  their  teaching.  These teachers will in turn make use of this model in the classroom.

Scope of the Study

The study specifically covered all public junior secondary school two (JSS II) students in Agbani Education Zone of Enugu State. The study was delimited to JSS II curriculum module for Social Studies and the topics covered were food and drink, marriage and family. This study was further delimited to The Learning Cycle (TLC) constructivist instructional model.

Research Questions

The following research questions guided the study:

1.   What  is  the  difference  in  the  mean  achievement  scores  of  junior  secondary  school students  taught  Social  Studies  using  the  constructivist  instructional  model  and  those taught using the conventional teaching method?

2.   What is the difference in the mean achievement scores of male and female students after being taught junior secondary school Social Studies using the constructivist instructional model?

3.   What is the difference in the mean interest scores of junior secondary school students taught Social Studies using the constructivist instructional model and those taught using the conventional teaching method?

4.   What is the difference in the mean interest scores of male and female students after being taught  junior  secondary  school  Social  Studies  using  the  constructivist  instructional model?

Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study and were tested at 0.05 level of significance:

Ho1:                There is no significant difference in mean achievement scores of junior secondary school students taught Social Studies using constructivist instructional model and those taught using conventional teaching method.

Ho2:                There is no significant difference in the mean achievement scores of male and female students taught Social Studies using constructivist instructional model.

Ho3:                The  interaction  effect  of  teaching  methods  and  gender  on  students’  mean achievement scores in Social studies after constructivist instructions is not significant at p<.05.

Ho4:                There is no significant difference in the mean interest scores of junior secondary school students taught Social Studies using constructivist instructional model and those taught using the conventional teaching method.

Ho5:                There is no significant difference in the mean interest scores of male and female students taught Social Studies using constructivist instructional model. Ho6:                There  is no  significant  interaction  effect  of teaching  methods  and  gender  on students’ mean interest scores in Social Studies.



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