EFFECTS OF CONCEPTUAL CHANGE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ MISCONCEPTIONS, PERFORMANCE AND RETENTION IN GENETICS IN KADUNA, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study examined the Effects of Conceptual Change Instructional Strategies on Secondary Students‟ Misconceptions, Performance and Retention in Genetics in Rigachukun Education Zone of Kaduna, Nigeria. Eight research questions and six null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance guided the study. Quasi experimental research design was used for the study. The population of the study consisted 2854 (SSIII) Biology students in nineteen government secondary schools in RigaChikun Education Zone of Kaduna State comprising 1620males and 1234females. The sample of the study consisted of 182 Senior Secondary School three Biology students (105 males and 77 girls) drawn from four government secondary schools in RigaChikun Education Zone of Kaduna State. The sample was drawn using random sampling technique. Two instruments were employed for data collection namely: Genetic Misconception Test (GMT) and Genetic Performance Test (GPT). The reliability of both instruments Genetic Performance Test and Genetic Misconception Test was determined using test retest method and was found to be r

= 0.81 for GMT and 0.82 for GPT respectively. GPT content validity was ensured by three senior lecturers in Science Education Department, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. Mean and standard deviation was used to answer the research questions while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses and Scheffe‟s Multiple Comparison Test to detect the source, magnitude and direction of significant variations. The findings showed that: 1. There was a significant difference between the pretest and posttest mean scores of the Genetic Misconception Test in the experimental groups and the control group in favour of the experimental groups. 2. There was a significant difference between the posttest mean scores of the Genetic Performance Test in the experimental groups and the control group in favour of the experimental groups.3. The genetic concepts post- posttest mean scores was significantly higher for those students taught using Conceptual Assignments, Conceptual Discussions and Enriched Conceptual Assignments with Conceptual Discussions instructional strategies than those taught using the traditional instructional strategy among other. Based on the results of the study the following recommendations were made: 1. Biology teachers should be encouraged to use conceptual change instructional model to improve the academic performance of Biology students among others.