Effect of Fieldwork Strategy on Secondary School Students Academic Performance and Interest in Geography, Katsina State, Nigeria

Abstract

EFFECTS OF FIELDWORK STRATEGY ON SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND INTEREST IN GEOGRAPHY, KATSINA, NIGERIA AHMED Tukur SHUAEEB Ahmad Ibn NDATSU Abdulkadir ABDULLAHI Umar Bala Department of Science and Technology Education, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria Department of Science and Vocational Education, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University Katsina, Nigeria ABSTRACT This study investigated the Effects of Fieldwork Strategy on Senior Secondary School Students Academic Performance and Interest in Geography, Katsina State, Nigeria. Three research objectives, three research question were raised and three null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 significant level. The study used quasi experimental and control group design involving pre and posttests. The target population for the study covered 2,251 senior secondary school year II students in the study area. A total number of 106 students from two intact classes of SS II were purposively selected and used as sample of the study. One school were selected as the experimental group, while the other one served as the control group. The instruments were validated by experts in science education and psychology. The instruments with reliability coefficients of 0.6 and 0.8, namely Geography Achievement Test and Geography Interest Questionnaire were used for data collection. Research questions were answered descriptively using mean and standard deviation while null hypotheses were tested inferentially using t-test, Mann Whitney U-Test and Kruskal Wallis H-Test were used. Findings of the study revealed that there was significant difference in the academic performance of students exposed to the Fieldwork strategy and lecture method in favour of experimental group. There was also significant difference in the interest of students exposed to the same strategy and those taught using lecture method. Gender difference exist in the performance and interest of students exposed to Fieldwork strategy. On the bases of the findings, the study recommended that the use of Fieldwork Strategy in teaching geography in school should be encouraged by State Ministries of Education through training of teachers in form of seminars and workshops on how to use Fieldwork in teaching periodically. Similarly, Katsina State Ministry of education should ensure adequate monitoring of teachers when using Fieldwork Strategy for improving achievement and interest towards school subjects with immediate effect. Keywords: Fieldwork Strategy, Academic Performance, Interest