Researches in chemistry education have shown that students’ low performance in practical
chemistry was due to lack of in-depth conceptual understanding of chemical concepts behind
practical chemistry. It was based on this that, the study investigated the Influence of
Conceptual Instructional Method on students’ Performance in, and Attitude towards Practical
Chemistry in Zaria Educational Zone, Kaduna State. The target population for the study was
1401 S.S. II Science Students. The subjects in the coeducational schools were pretested and
schools that do not differ significantly were chosen for the study. A sample of 100 Students
was randomly drawn from two co-educational senior secondary schools, within Zaria
educational zone. The subjects were divided in to two groups: The experimental group and
the control group of 50 students each. The pretest-posttest quasi-experimental control group
design was adapted. The subjects in the experimental group were exposed to Conceptual
Instructional Method, while those in the Control group were exposed to the lecture
instructional strategy for a period of six weeks. The following instruments were developed
and validated for data collection: Chemistry Practical Achievement Test (CPAT) with
reliability coefficient of 0.71, Chemistry Practical Performance (CPPT) with reliability
coefficient of 0.73 and Chemistry Practical Attitude Inventory (CPAI) with reliability
coefficient of 0.79. Six research questions were stated and six null hypotheses were tested.
The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis at 0.05 level of significance. t-test
statistics was used to test the hypotheses on achievement, performance and gender difference.
Mann-Whitney U-test was used to test the subjects change in attitude towards practical
chemistry while Pearson product moment correlation coefficient r- statistic was used to test
the relationship between academic achievement and practical performance of subjects in the
experimental group. The major findings from the study include the following: The Academic
Achievement, Practical Performance and Attitude of Subjects Exposed to Conceptual
Instructional Method were significantly higher than their counterparts exposed to lecture
method of instruction. With reference to gender, there was no significant difference between
male and female students academic achievement in the experimental group but, there was a
significant difference between male and female students practical performance with the male
students performing better than their female counterparts. It was also found that, there was a
significant relationship between academic achievement and practical performance of subjects
in the experimental group. On the basis of the findings outlined above, it was concluded that,
conceptual instructional method enhances senior secondary school students’ academic
achievement, practical performance and attitude towards practical chemistry. A number of
recommendations were made some of which are as follows: (1) Chemistry teachers should
incorporate conceptual instructional method for teaching at senior secondary school level. (2)
Curriculum planners should recommend and ensure conceptual instructional method is used
for teaching chemistry at senior secondary school.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page- - - - - - - - - - i
Declaration - - - - - - - - - ii
Certification - - - - - - - - - - iii
Acknowledgment - - - - - - - - - iv
Dedication - - - - - - - - - - vi
Table of Contents - - - - - - - - - vii
List of Figures - - - - - - - - - x
List of Tables - - - - - - - - - - xi
List of Appendices - - - - - - - - - xiii
Abbreviations - - - - - - - - - - xiv
Operational Definition of Terms - - - - - - - xv
Abstract - - - - - - - - - - xvi
CHAPTER ONE: THE PROBLEM
1.1 Introduction - - - - - - - - - 1
1.1.1 Theoretical Framework - - - - - - - - 9
1.2 Statement of the Problem - - - - - - - 13
1.3 Objectives of the Study - - - - - - - 15
1.4 Research Questions - - - - - - - - 15
1.5 Null Hypotheses - - - - - - - - - - 16
1.6 Significance of the Study - - - - - - - 17
1.7 Delimitation of the Study - - - - - - - - 18
1.8 Basic Assumptions - - - - - - - - 19
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 Introduction - - - - - - - - - - 20
2.2 Instructional Strategies for Teaching Science - - - - - 20
2.3 Conceptual Instructional Strategy - - - - - 21
2.3.1 Concept Acquisition - - - - - - - - - 23
2.3.2 Concept Teaching - - - - - - - - - - 24
2.3.3 Problems of Concept Learning - - - - - - - 26
2.4 Models and Theories of Concept Learning - - - - - 27
2.5 Practical Activities in Science - - - - - - - - 34
2.5.1 The Role of Laboratory-Activity in Practical Class -- - - - 39
2.5.2 Problem of Teaching Practical Chemistry at Secondary School - - - 41
2.5.3 Chemistry Practical Skills - - - - - - - 44
2.6 Instructional Strategies and Students Attitude in Science - - - 46
2.7 Students’ Attitude and Academic Achievement in Science - - - 47
2.8 Gender Difference and Academic Performance in Science - - - 50
2.9 Overview of Similar Studies - - - - - - - 52
2.10 Implication of Literature Reviewed on the Present Studies - - - 56
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction - - - - - - - - - 58
3.2 Research Design - - - - - - - - 59
3.3 Population of the Study - - - - - - - 60
3.4 Sample and Sampling Procedure - - - - - - - 62
3.5 Instrumentation - - - - - - - 64
3.5.1 Chemistry Practical Achievement Test - - - - - - 64
3.5.2 Chemistry Practical Performance Test - - - - - 65
3.5.3 Chemistry Practical Attitude Inventory - - - - - - 66
3.5.4 Validation of the Instruments - - - - - - 67
3.5.5 Pilot Study - - - - - - - - - 68
3.5.6 Items Characteristics of the Instruments - - - - - 69
3.5.7 Items Difficulty Index - - - - - - - 69
3.5.8 Items Discrimination Index - - - - - - - - - 70
3.5.9 Reliability of the Instruments - - - - - - - 71
3.6 Data Collection Procedure - - - - - - - 71
3.6.1 Pretest Administration - - - - - - - - 71
3.6.2 Administration of the Treatment to the Subjects in the Experimental group - 72
3.6.3 Administration of the Treatment to the Subjects in the Control group - 74
3.6.4 Procedure for Data Collection - - - - - - - 74
3.7 Procedure for Data Analysis - - - - - - - 75
CHAPTER FOUR :DATA ANALYSIS, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Introduction - - - - - - - - - 77
4.2 Data analysis and Results - - - - - - - 78
Null Hypothesis 1 - - - - - - - - - 78
Null Hypothesis 2 - - - - - - - - - 80
Null Hypothesis 3 - - - - - - - - - 82
Null Hypothesis 4 - - - - - - - - - 83
Null Hypothesis 5 - - - - - - - - - 84
Null Hypothesis 6 - - - - - - - - - 86
4.3 Summary of Findings - - - - - - - - 87
4.4 Discussion of Results - - - - - - - - 88
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Introduction - - - - - - - - - 94
5.2 Summary of the Study - - - - - - - 94
5.3 Summary of Major Findings - - - - - - - 96
5.4 Conclusions - - - - - - - - - 97
5.5 Recommendations - - - - - - - - 97
5.6 Contribution to Knowledge- - - - - - - - 98
5.7 Limitations of the Study - - - - - - - 99
5.8 Suggestions for Further studies - - - - - - 99
References - - - - - - - - - - 100
Appendices - - - - - - - - - - 113
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure
2.1 Practical Work Linking two Domains of Knowledge- - - - 37
3.1 Research Design Illustrations - - - - - - - 59
3.2 A Flow Chart of Tennyson and Cocchiarella Model of Concept Teaching - 73
List of Tables
Table
1.1 Kaduna State Students Performance in Chemistry at (2004- 2012) - - 4
2.1 Different Types of Chemical Experimentation - - - - 36
3.1 Population of the Study - - - - - - - 61
3.2 Constitution of the Study Sample - - - - - - 62
4.1 Academic Achievement Posttest mean Scores of Subjects in the Experimental and
Control group - - - - - - - - 78
4.2 Comparison of Academic Achievement Posttest mean Scores of the Subjects in
Subjects in the Experimental and Control group - - - - 79
4.3 Academic Achievement posttest mean Scores of Male and Female Subjects in the
Experimental group - - - - - - - - 80
4.4 Comparison of Academic Achievement posttest mean Scores of Male and Female
Subjects in the Experimental group - - - - - - 80
4.5 Practical Performance of the Posttest mean Scores of the Subjects in the
Experimental and Control group - - - - - - 81
4.6 Comparison of Practical Performance of the Posttest mean Scores of Subjects in the
Experimental and Control group - - - - - -` 82
4.7 Practical Performance of the Posttest mean Scores of Male and Female Subjects in the
Experimental group - - - - - - - - 83
4.8 Comparison of Practical Performance of the Posttest mean Scores of Male and Female
Subjects in the Experimental Group. - - - - - - 83
4.9 Attitude Change of Subjects in the Experimental Group - - - 84
4.10 Comparison of the Attitude Change of the Subjects Taught Using Conceptual
Instructional Method - - - - - - - - 85
4.11 Relationship Between Academic Achievement and Practical Performance Scores of
the Subjects in the Experimental Group. - - - - - 86
4.12 Comparison of the Relationship Between Academic Achievement and Practical
Performance Scores of the Subjects in the Experimental Group. - - - 86
