Efficacy of Science Process Approach in Remediating Physics Practical Errors Among Secondary School Students in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the effect of the Science Process Approach (SAPA) on remediating errors in Physics practical among secondary school students in Giwa Education Zone, Kaduna State, Nigeria, and further assessed its impact on male and female students' performance. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was employed. The sample consisted of 256 SSII Physics students (180 males, 76 females) selected through simple random sampling from four public secondary schools. The experimental group was taught using SAPA, while the control group was taught using the conventional lecture method over six weeks. The instrument for data collection was the Physics Practical Test (PPT), which had a reliability coefficient of 0.83. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) and independent t-tests at a significance level of p ≤ 0.05. Results revealed that students exposed to SAPA performed significantly better (mean = 43.23) than those exposed to the conventional method (mean = 30.87), with a mean difference of 12.36 (t = 2.83, p = 0.01). Regarding gender, male students (mean = 53.37) and female students (mean = 53.19) showed no significant difference in performance (t = 0.57, p = 0.95). The study concludes that SAPA is an effective strategy for improving students' performance in Physics practicals and is gender-friendly. Recommendations include the adoption of SAPA by Physics teachers and the integration of activity-based, process-oriented methods into teacher training programs.