Effects of Activity-Based Teaching Strategy on Academic Achievement and Retention in Basic Science Concepts in Upper Basic Level in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the effect of Activity-Based teaching strategies on the academic performance and retention of Basic Science concepts among upper basic level students in Makurdi, Benue State. A total of 120 Basic Science students in upper basic 2 were randomly selected, consisting of 51 males and 69 females, and were pre-tested and divided into experimental and control groups. Students in the experimental group were instructed on selected basic science concepts using the Activity-Based teaching approach, while their achievement and ability to retain information were compared to those in the control group, who received the same instruction through traditional lectures. Data from pre-tests, post-tests, and follow-up tests were analyzed to assess group equivalence as well as the achievement and retention capabilities of both groups. Two hypotheses were tested using t-test statistics with a significance level of P-value 0.05, leading to several key findings: Students who learned through the Activity-Based teaching strategy (Experimental group) performed significantly better than those taught via lecture method. Additionally, students who engaged in the Activity-Based instructional strategy retained the learned concepts considerably more effectively than those who received instruction through lectures. Based on these results, several recommendations were proposed, including that teachers of Basic Science should adopt Activity-Based instructional strategies in their teaching, as it improves both achievement and retention in upper basic level students.