ABSTRACT

This research work focused itself on the effect of constructivist model of instruction on senior secondary school students’ achievement and interest in physics. The study adopted quasi-experimental design(pre-test, post test, non equivalent control group design). Six research questions were raised and six null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance guided the study. The population of the study comprised 20,426 SSSII physics students in 178 schools in Owerri educational zone of Imo state. The sample was made up of 200 SSII physics students from 6 secondary schools purposively sampled from 20,426 SSII students from 178 schools in Owerri educational zone of Imo state. The instruments used were physics achievement test(PAT) and physics interest scale(PIS). Both instruments were validated by experts and the reliability co efficient of (PIS) was calculated to be .85 using Cronbach alpha and reliability co-efficient of (PAT) was also calculated to be .90 using kuder Richardson 20. The data collected were analysed using Mean, Standard deviation, Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and t-test statistics. Research findings show that constructivist model of teaching improves students’ academic achievement in physics than the expository method. Constructivist model has proven to be an instructional teaching method that produced the desired results by improving on the students’ academic achievement. When this model is applied in the teaching and learning of physics at secondary schools, higher achievement and higher interest are enhanced both gender of students and school locations of students. Thus the constructivist model should be adopted by teachers for the teaching and learning of physics in senior secondary schools. Government should utilize the services of organizational bodies such as the science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) to organise seminar, “workshop” conferences and in-service training to inform and teach physics teachers the use of innovative teaching method especially the Constructivist Instructional Approach.