Effects Of Problem-Based Learning And Interactive Invention Instructional Strategies On Nce Pre-Service Teachers’ Achievement In Physics Concepts And Acquisition Of Science Process Skills

ABSTRACT

The traditional instructional strategies employed by most physics teachers in teaching

the subject has consistently led to low student achievement. Hence there is need to

employ new instructional strategies such as problem-based learning (PBL) and interactive

invention (IIS) instructional strategies, particularly, among the NCE pre-service

teachers in Nigeria. The two strategies have been proved in the literature to help in

alleviating the problem of low student achievement in physics, but they have not been

adopted in the teaching of physics in Nigerian Colleges of Education. This study,

therefore, ascertained the effects of problem–based learning and interactive invention

instructional strategies on NCE pre-service teachers‘ achievement in physics and

acquisition of science process skills.

A pretest-posttest, control-group, quasi–experimental research design with a 3x3x2

factorial matrix was used. Three state and three federal colleges of education from

South-western Nigeria were purposively selected. Ninety eight female and 94 male

final year NCE physics students with high, medium and low self-efficacy constituted

the sample. One state and one federal college of Education were used for each of the

two experimental groups and the control group. The Instruments used were: Physics

Achievement Test (r=0.875), Students‘ Physics Self–Efficacy Questionnaire

(r=0.956), Science Proces Skills Worksheets (SPSW), Classroom Activities Rating

Scale (r=0.820), Teachers‘ Instructional Guides for Problem-Based Learning Strategy

(PBLS), Interactive Invention Strategy (IIS) and Conventional Lecture Method

(CLM). Three research questions were answered and seven null hypotheses were

tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data were analysed using Analysis of Covariance

(ANCOVA), Multiple Clasification Analysis (MCA) and Scheffe post hoc analysis.

Treatment had a significant main effect on pre-service teachers’ achievement in

physics concepts (F(2,174) = 43.44, P .05). The three-way interactions of treatment, selfefficacy

and gender showed a significant interaction effect for achievement in

physics (F (3,174) = 3.27, P