EFFECTS OF JIGSAW COOPERATIVE LEARNING STRATEGY ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICS IN SOKOTO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study is aimed at investigating the effects of jigsaw cooperative learning strategy on secondary school students’ attitudes and performance in physics in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Four research questions were answered and four hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance in the study. The study adopted quasi-experimental research design, specifically, the pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design in which intact classes were assigned to the experimental and control groups. The population of the study comprised of the entire SS II students who are offering Physics in all Secondary School in the three Educational zones of Sokoto State, from which 210 SS II students from intact classes of two schools from the four educational zones in the state were sampled using purposive sampling technique. Four research assistants (two from each of the sampled schools) were employed to help the researchers in administering the treatments to both groups. A pre-test was conducted a week before commencement of the treatment which lasted for seven weeks. After the treatment a posttest was administered using the instruments. Two instruments were used in collecting data for the study, namely; Heat Energy Performance Test (HEPT) and Students’ Attitudes towards Physics Questionnaire (SATPQ). Both instruments were validated by the experts. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) were used to answer questions while inferential statistics (t-test and ANCOVA) were used to test the hypotheses.  Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 25 and 0.05 level of significance was adopted for testing the hypotheses. The reliability of the SATPQ was found to be 0.76 using Cronbach’s coefficient alpha method on the Statistical package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Software Version 25; while the reliability of HEPT was found to be 0.84, using kuder-Richardson formula 20 (K-R 20). The findings from the study revealed that Jigsaw cooperative learning strategy had a significant effect on students’ attitudes towards learning physics; that is, after students were exposed to treatment using jigsaw cooperative learning strategy they have developed better attitude toward Physics. It is also revealed that there is significant difference between the post-test mean Performance scores of the students taught physics using jigsaw cooperative learning strategy and their counterparts using conventional lecture method; that is Jigsaw cooperative learning strategy enhanced students’ Performance in Physics more than conventional lecture method that is popular and commonly used by Physics teachers. The findings also showed that the male students performed slightly higher than their female counterparts when taught physics using jigsaw cooperative learning strategy, however, it revealed that there is no significant interaction effect between treatment and gender on student’s attitude toward Physics. Based on the findings of the study, some recommendations were made as, seminars and workshops should be organize by professional bodies like Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) on jigsaw cooperative learning strategy to stimulate and popularize their use in classrooms and Physics teachers should be encouraged to use jigsaw cooperative learning strategy as method of instruction in order to improve their teaching, students’ attitude and Performance in physics.