Effects of Gagne's Instructional Strategy on Senior Secondary Schools Chemistry Students' Academic Achievement and Attitudes in Hadejia Education Zone Jigawa

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of Gagne's instructional strategy on students' achievement and attitude toward balancing chemical equations in chemistry. Specifically, the study sought to determine the difference in achievement and attitude of students taught using Gagne's instructional strategy and those taught using the conventional lecture method, as well as examined the effects of gender on students' achievement and attitude when exposed to the Gagne's instructional strategy. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised of 12,361 senior secondary school students, from which a sample of 127 students were selected using stratified random sampling technique and assigned to experimental and control groups. Two instruments were used for data collection: the Balancing Chemical Equation Achievement Test (BCEAT) and the Students' Attitude toward Chemistry Questionnaire (SASQ). The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions. Inferential statistics including the independent samples t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were employed to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that students taught using Gagne's instructional strategy performed significantly better in achievement than those taught using the lecture method. Furthermore, students in the experimental group developed a significantly more positive attitude toward chemistry compared to those in the control group. The study concluded that Gagne's instructional strategy is effective in enhancing students' academic achievement and attitude toward chemistry and is equally beneficial to both male and female students. The study has the following recommendations: that chemistry teachers should adopt Gagne's instructional strategy; educational authorities should organized seminar and workshops; leaner centred methods should promoted; and gender inclusiveness to reduced gender bias.