EFFECTS OF GLENCOE’S AND RUSBULT’S PROBLEM-SOLVING INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES ON STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT AND INTEREST IN ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE WORK IN NORTH-CENTRAL, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study determined the Effects of Glencoe’s and Rusbult’s Problem-Solving Instructional Strategies on Students’ Achievement and Interest in Electrical Installation and Maintenance Work in North-Central, Nigeria. Six research questions were raised and answered as well as six null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a factorial research design using pretest, posttest, non-equivalent control group design. The study was conducted in the North-central geo-political zone of Nigeria. The population for this study comprised of 1013 NTC II student of EIMW in the 29 technical colleges in North-central geo-political zone of Nigeria. A two-stage simple random sampling technique and purposive sampling technique was used in the study. The instruments used for data collection consisted of Electrical Installation Work Cognitive Achievement Test (EIWCAT), Electrical Installation Work Psychomotor Achievement Test (EIWPAT) and Electrical Installation Work Interest Inventory (EIWII). The instruments were validated by three experts. The reliability coefficient of: EIWCAT was determined as 0.80 using Kuder-Richardson formula 20 (K-R 20), EIWPAT was determined as 0.82 using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and EIWII was determined as 0.70 using Cronbach’s Alpha statistical technique. Data were collected through physical administration of the research instruments and analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer all the research questions and Analysis of Covariance to test all the null hypotheses formulated. Findings from the study revealed that students taught EIMW using Rusbult’s problem-solving strategy had higher mean skill achievement and interest scores than students taught using Glencoe’s problem-solving strategy, students taught EIMW using Glencoe’s problem-solving strategy had higher mean cognitive achievement scores than students taught using Rusbult’s problem-solving strategy and there was significance difference between students’ cognitive and skill achievements, and interest mean scores in EIMW when taught using Glencoe’s and those taught using Rusbult’s problem-solving strategies. The study shows that the mean gained between the pre-test and post-test skill achievement scores of the students taught EIMW using Glencoe’s problem-solving strategy was 52.14 using Rusbult’s problem-solving strategy had pre-test mean skill achievement score of 20.60 with standard deviation of 2.84 and post-test score of 78.89 with standard deviation of 1.97 and pre-test mean cognitive achievement score of 13.57 with standard deviation of 4.50 and post-test score of 78.43 with standard deviation of 1.89. The mean gained between the pre-test and post-test mean cognitive achievement scores of the students taught EIMW using Glencoe’s problem-solving strategy was 64.86. Based on the findings from the study, the study recommended among others that, Electrical Installation and Maintenance Works teachers should adopt the use of: Rusbult’s problem-solving strategy to enhance students' skill achievement and interest; and Glencoe’s problem-solving strategy to enhance students' cognitive achievement, Electrical Installation and Maintenance Works teachers should adopt the use of Glencoe’s and Rusbult’s problem-solving strategies in order to enhance students' cognitive and skill achievements as well as stimulate their interest and to enhance students' cognitive and skill achievements as well as stimulate their interest.