Effect of mastery learning approach on senior high school students’ academic performance in circulatory system

Abstract

This study sought to determine the effect of mastery learning approach on senior high school students’ academic performance in circulatory system. The study was conducted at Osei Kyeretwie Senior High and Al-Azariya Islamic Senior High Schools and employed a quasi-experimental design with the collection of only quantitative data. The purposive sampling technique was used to select an intact class of 32 senior high school 2 each from Osei Kyeretwie Senior High and Al-Azariya Islamic Senior High Schools respectively. Form 2 General Arts Class were used in both school. Test was used to gather data on the effect of mastery learning on students’ academic performance from both the control and the experimental groups as well as male and female students’ academic performance in the experimental group. A questionnaire was also used to measure the perceptions of students on the use of mastery learning approach. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study revealed an improvement in students’ academic performance in the experimental group. Moreover, there was an equitable academic performance for both male and female students in the experimental group. It was also discovered that students in the experimental group had positive perceptions of mastery learning approach in the biology classroom. Based on the findings, it was recommended that biology teachers in the two schools should integrate mastery learning approach into their teaching and learning of biology to enhance students’ academic performance as well as improve positive perceptions of students.