The Effects of Scaffolding on the Achievement of Senior Secondary School Students in Physics in Minna Metropolis

Abstract

This study determined the effects of scaffolding on the achievement of Senior Secondary school students in physics in Minna metropolis. Quasi-experimental design, specifically the pre-test, post-test control group design was used. There were four teachers two teachers from each group and 30 students from each School, which summed up to the total number of the students to 120 students from the four schools, therefore, serve as the sample while the nine (9) schools in Minna serves as the total population for this research. The instrument used is a researcher designed physics achievement test (PAT). The content validity of this research instrument was verified by an educational technologist, three physics education lecturers in Science Education Department of Federal University of Technology to check for the appropriateness of the instrument in terms of content coverage, and objectives of the research. Data were collected and subjected to statistical analysis' using mean, standard deviations to answer the research questions while ANCOVA was used to test for the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The result shows that students taught using scaffolding performed better compared to students' taught using the lecture method. The use of scaffolding to teach physics students in senior secondary school had no significant effect on gender as related to students' performance. Recommendations were made such as, physics teachers should use scaffolding to enhance students' achievement. Seminar and workshops should be organized by federal and state ministries of education where teachers and student-teachers, and curriculum planners will be taught various scaffolding methods of teaching and learning in physics. Textbook authors should work with the curriculum planners to include constructive activities in physics textbooks. The state and federal ministries of education should also provide suitable environment by providing necessary facilities to carry out constructive teaching and learning processes.