This study investigated the Impact of Practical Activities on Attitude, Skills Acquisition
Zone, Nigeria. Randomized experimental-control groups design involving pretest and
posttest was used for the study. The population of the study comprised 1,982 NCE II
Chemistry students in 12 Colleges of Education in the North- West zone. Two Colleges
Education Zaria were randomly selected using balloting and grouped into Experimental
Federal College of Education Zaria. Three research instruments, Students Attitude toward
Chemistry Practical Questionnaire (SACPQ) with reliability coefficient of 0.67, Skills
Acquisition Observation Check List (SAOCL) with reliability coefficient of 0.91 and
Chemistry Performance Test (CPT) with reliability coefficient of 0.87 were validated by
experts and used to collect data for the study. Students in the experimental group were
taught using practical activities while those in the control group were taught using lecture
method. Three research questions were raised and answered using Mean Rank, Mean
formulated and tested using Krukal-Walis, Tukey HSD test and t- test at p≤0.05 level of
significance using SPSS statistical package. The major findings from this study include
the following: there was positive attitudinal change towards chemistry among students
exposed to practical activities than that of their counterparts who were taught using
lecture method, skills acquired and performance of students exposed to practical activities
were significantly higher than those of their counterparts who were taught using lecture
method. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that exposing N.C.E
chemistry students to practical activities when teaching chemistry concepts will bring
about positive attitude towards chemistry, enable them acquire skills and enhance their
performance in chemistry. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations were
made which includes chemistry teachers in Colleges of Education should teach chemistry
concepts using practical activities among others.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. i
Declaration - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . iii
Certification - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. iv
Acknowledgements - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..v
Abbreviations - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - vi
Operational Definition of Terms - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - vii
List of Appendices - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. viii
List of Tables - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ix
List of Figures - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .x
Table of Contents - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - xi
Abstract - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . xiii
CHAPTER ONE : THE PROBLEM
1.1 Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..1
1.1.1 Theoretical Framework - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..5
1.2 Statement of the Problem - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..5
1.3 Objectives of the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..6
1.4 Research Questions - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..7
1.5 Research Hypotheses - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..7
1.6 Significance of the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..7
1.7 Scope of the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8
1.8 Basic Assumptions - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9
CHAPTER TWO : LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10
2.2 Nature and Teaching of Chemistry at N.C.E Level - - - - - - - - ..10
2.2.1 Philosophy of Teaching Chemistry at N.C.E Level - - - - - - - - ..12
2.2.2 Objectives of Teaching Chemistry at N.C.E Level - - - - - - - - 12
2.2.3 Methods in Teaching Chemistry - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12
2.3 Curriculum Innovations in Science that emphasize the Importance of
Practical activities - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..16
2.4 Practical Activities in Chemistry and its Objectives - - - - - - - - .18
xii
2.5 Relationship between Practical Chemistry and Attitude toward chemistry at
N.C.E Level - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..21
2.6 Relationship between Practical Chemistry and Skills Acquisition at N.C.E
Level - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .23
2.7 Relationship between Practical activities in Chemistry and Performance in
Chemistry at N.C.E Level - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..25
2.8 Overview of Similar Studies - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .26
2.9 Implication of Literature Reviewed to the Present Study - - - - - - ..31
CHAPTER THREE : METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 33
3.2 Research Design - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..33
3.3 Population of the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 35
3.4 Sample and Sampling Technique - - - - - - - - - - - - - 36
3.5 Instrumentation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 37
3.5.1 Students‟ Attitude towards Chemistry Practical Questionnaire (SACPQ) - - 37
3.5.2 Skills Acquisition Observation Check List (SAOCL) - - - - - - - .38
3.5.3 Chemistry Performance Test (CPT) - - - - - - - - - - - - ..38
3.5.4 Validity of Instruments (SACPQ , SAOCL, and CPT) - - - - - - - .39
3.5.5 Pilot Testing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..40
3.5.6 Reliability of the Instruments - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 41
3.6 Item Analysis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 42
3.7 Administration of Insruments - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..43
3.7.1 Administering Insruments to the Experimental Group - - - - - - - 44
3.7.2 Teaching the Control Group - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .48
3.8 Procedure for Data Analysis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .49
3.9 Data Analysis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 49
3.9.1 Answering Research Questions - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..50
3.9.2 Hypotheses Testing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 50
CHAPTER FOUR : DATA ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION OF RESULTS
AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1 Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 52
4.2 Data Analysis and Presentation of Results - - - - - - - - - - 52
4.3 Summary of Findings - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 59
4.4 Discussion of Result - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .60
xiii
CHAPTER FIVE : SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 63
5.2 Summary of the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .63
5.3 Summary of Major Findings - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .64
5.4 Conclusions - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 65
5.5 Contribution to Knowledge - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 65
5.6 Recommendation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 65
5.7 Limitations of the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..66
5.8 Suggestions for Further Studies - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..66
REFERENCES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..68
APPENDICES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 77
