Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to use the practical activity method (hands-on) as the
most effective instructional teaching approach or style to improve pupils’ academic
performance in the learning of mixtures and changes of state of matter for pupils of
Effutu Municipal Assembly Primary School. The study used a case study design
(action research) and non-probability and purposive sampling techniques in choosing
the participants for this study who were Primary Five pupils of the Effutu Municipal
Assembly Primary School to obtain data for the study. The sample size for the study
was sixty-three (63). Test and observation schedules were the main research
instruments used. The data obtained from the tests were analysed using Frequencies,
percentages, means, standard deviations and related-samples wilcoxon Signed Rank
test statistical tools to find out pupils’ achievement level after the intervention
(activity method). The results revealed that the pupils had very limited knowledge and
conceptual understanding of mixtures and changes of state of matter because the mean
for all the pre-intervention test were very small as compared to the mean for the post intervention test. The results also showed that the performance of the pupils improved
significantly after the activity method of teaching and learning of science
interventions for mixtures and change of state of matter was carried out in the school.
The results further indicated that, there was a statistically significant difference of
0.00 between pre-intervention and post- intervention performance of pupils’
preconceptions of mixtures. There was also a statistically significant difference of
0.00, between pre-intervention and post- intervention performance of the pupils’
conceptual understanding of mixtures and change of state of matter. It was
recommended that the study be replicated using the activity method of teaching as
instructional strategy to teach other concepts in integrated science.
Description:
A THESIS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION, FACULTY
OF SCIENCE EDUCATION, SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF
GRADUATE STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA IN
PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF
THE MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE IN SCIENCE EDUCATION
AUGUST, 2017
