The effects of minds-on and hands-on activities on students’ cognitive achievements in the study of the excretory system of mammals

Abstract

The study sought to determine the effects of minds-on and hands-on activities on form two students’ cognitive achievement in the excretory system of mammals among some selected senior high schools in the Ho-West District of Volta Region in Ghana. To guide the study, four (4) research questions were posed and answered. Quasi experimental research design specifically, pre-test, post-test, questionnaire and non-equivalent control group was adopted for the study. A sample of sixty (60) SHS 2 students in two selected mixed sex schools within the selected district were used for the study. Biology Achievement Test in the form of multiple choice and essay and questionnaire were used as instruments for data collection. Data collected were analysed using the Microsoft Excel (2019) and SPSS statistical analysis tool (version 27). Overall item new response score analysis was used to determine the perceptions of the experimental group students of the use of the minds-on and hands-on activity method in teaching excretory system. The findings of the study were; there is a significance difference in the achievement mean scores of students in the experimental group before and after the treatment. The general performance of the experimental group students had significantly improved after the treatment using the minds-on and hands-on activities. There is no significant difference in the mean performances of the male and female experimental group students before and after treatment. Sex is not a significant factor on the students’ cognitive achievement in excretory system. There is no significant interaction effect of the minds-on and hands-on activities and sex on the cognitive achievement of students in excretory system. The experimental group students had positive perceptions of the use of the minds-on and hands-on activities for lessons in excretory system. One of the implications of the findings is that, the minds-on and hands-on activity method of teaching is effective tends to perform homogeinity of performance between the male and female students. It was recommended among others that science educators and curriculum planners should incorporate innovative strategies such as minds-on and hands-on activity method of teaching into their various teacher education programmes. University of Education,Winneba