ABSTRACT

The study investigated the relative effects of problem based learning and jigsaw instructional strategy on students’ achievement and retention in senior secondary school biology concepts in Akwa Ibom State. In pursuance ofthe objectives ofthe study, eight research questions and eight null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Pretest posttest non-equivalent quasi-experimental design was adopted for the study. It was conducted in co-educational schools in Akwa Ibom North East. The research population was 14819 senior secondary one Biology students comprising of 6609 males and 8210 females in 84 public secondary schools. Purposive sampling technique was used to select six schools for the study. A sample of 278 (182 for experimental and 96 for control) SSI biology students (122 Males, 156 females) was used. Biology Achievement Test on Microorganisms (BATM) developed by the researcher served as instrument for data collection. The instrument was subjected to face and content validation by three experts, two in Biology Education and one in measurement and Evaluation, all in the Department ofscience Education, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State. The reliability coefficient of 0.93 was established using Kuder Richardson’s formula 20. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer research questions and the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significant using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Least squares Difference (LSD) posthoc pairwise comparison test was done in order to determine the direction of significance. From the findings, it was observed that there is significant difference in the mean achievement and retention scores of Biology students taught using problem based learning, jigsaw instructional strategy and conventional teaching method. The result showed that problem based learning was the most effective in facilitating students’ achievement and retention in the microorganisms. This was followed by jigsaw Instructional strategy while conventional teaching method was the least effective. The results also indicated that gender is not a determinant ofstudents’ achievement and retention in biology concepts. Conclusion from the findings led to the recommendation among others that teachers should be encouraged to adopt the use of problem based learning and jigsaw instructional strategy in teaching of various concepts in biology in order to enhance problem based skills, resourcefulness and students centered activities.