Abstract:
This study investigated the effectiveness of spreadsheets implementation and cooperative learning on students' conceptual understanding about electricity and magnetism in secondary senior school in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State. Four objectives were set for the study which are to examine the factors that affect the spreadsheets implementation and cooperative learning on students' conceptual understanding of electricity and magnetism in senior school in Makurdi Local Government Area, determine the effective use of spreadsheets implementation and cooperative learning on students' conceptual understanding of electricity and magnetism in senior school in Makurdi Local Government Area, examine the importance of spreadsheets implementation and cooperative learning on students' conceptual understanding of electricity and magnetism in senior school in Makurdi Local Government Area, examine the gender effect of spreadsheets implementation and cooperative learning on students' conceptual understanding of electricity and magnetism in senior school in Makurdi Local Government Area. The study adopted quasi experimental research design with a population of 1050 and sampling size of 289. Total enumeration sampling technique was adopted considering the population using taro Yamane formula, the data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency table, mean and standard deviation scores while correlation analysis was use for the hypotheses. The result shows that the, spreadsheets implementation and self methods affect students' performance in Physics. It also revealed that there is a significant difference in students' performance in Physics between students taught using the spreadsheets implementation teaching method and those taught using the cooperative learning method. Those taught with spreadsheets implementation teaching method performed better than those taught with cooperative learning method. The findings also showed that there is no difference in students' performance in Physics between male and female students taught with the spreadsheets implementation teaching method. This implies that male and female students' performance in Physics is not different when taught with spreadsheets implementation teaching method. The findings also showed that there is no difference between male and female students' performance in Physics taught with cooperative learning method. Furthermore, the result revealed that there is a difference in students' performance in Physics between students in Female schools and those in Male schools taught with spreadsheets implementation teaching method. Students in Male areas performed better than those in the Female area taught with spreadsheets implementation teaching method. In the same vein, the findings showed that there is a difference between Male and Female students' performance in Physics taught with self method of teaching students in the Male areas performing better than those in Female areas. The study recommended that, Spreadsheets implementation teaching method should be practiced intensively by Physics teachers since the method has been proved effective in enhancing students' academic performance, Physics teachers should reduce the use of self method in teaching Physics to enhance students' academic performance, Physics teachers should make the teaching-learning of Physics an interactive and activity-based for the students using spreadsheets implementation method, Government at all levels should periodically conduct regular workshops for teachers on the effective use of spreadsheets implementation teaching method, Government should also encourage Physics teachers to use spreadsheets implementation method by providing the needed conducive environment for teaching and learning with adequate instructional materials.
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