Effect of hands-on activities on students’ performance in acids, bases and salts at Kaneshie Senior High Technical School

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effect of hands-on activities on senior high school students’ performance in acids, bases and salts. The study was conducted at Kaneshie Senior High Technical School, Accra. It employed an action research design with the collection of quantitative data. A purposive sampling technique was then used to select an intact class of 50 SHS 2 students. Tests were used to gather data on students’ difficulties in acids, bases and salts, the effect of hands-on activities on students’ performance in acids, bases and salts as well as the effect of hands-on activities on students’ science process skills. A questionnaire was used to gather data on the perceptions of students on the use of hands-on activities in teaching science concepts. Data were analysed using content analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study revealed significant conceptual difficulties of students in acids, bases and salts. It also showed an improvement in students’ performance after the implementation of the intervention. As there was a significant improvement in students’ science process skills. It was also discovered that students had positive perceptions of hands-on activities in learning acids, bases and salts. Based on the findings, it was recommended that science teachers in Kaneshie Senior High Technical School should use hands-on activities to identify students’ difficulties and improve students’ performance in acids, bases and salts. It was also recommended that school authorities in Kaneshie Senior High Technical School should make hands-on activities readily available to enhance students’ science process skills and positive perceptions of students.