ABSTRACT

This study investigated the effects of Field-based Teaching Strategy on Interest, Retention and Performance in Climate Change among Secondary School Students in Anchau, Kaduna, Nigeria. The study adopted the quasi experimental non-equivalent pretest, posttest control group design. The population of the study consisted of 1,655 SS II Geography students (1,010 males and 645 females). The sample for the study consisted of 75 students who were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. 35 students in the experimental group were taught using Field-based Teaching Strategy and 40 students in the control group were taught with lecture method for six weeks. Two instruments, namely Climate Change Performance Test (CCPT) and Climate Change Interest Questionnaire (CCIQ) were developed and used for data collection. The reliability coefficient of CCPT is 0.64and that of CCIQ is 0.70. Six objectives, research questions and six hypotheses were raised. Among the hypotheses of the study is that there is no significant difference between the mean academic performance scores and retention ability of students taught Climate Change Concepts using Field-based Teaching Strategy and those taught using lecture method only. Data was analyzed descriptively using means, standard deviations , mean ranks and sum of mean ranks. Inferentially, hypotheses were tested using t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test at p < 0.05 levels of significance. Findings of the study showed a significant difference in interest, retention and performance between students taught Climate Change using Field-based Teaching Strategy and those taught using lecture method in favour of those taught using Field-based Teaching Strategy- (p > 0.03, 0.01, 0.01 respectively). Findings of the study also indicated no significant difference in interest, retention and performance between male and female students in the experimental group which implies the teaching strategy is gender friendly. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended amongst others that geography teachers should use Field-based Teaching Strategy to teach the concepts of Climate Change.

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CHAPTER ONE

THE PROBLEM

1.1. Introduction

Geography as a discipline is the study of man and his environment, that is, physical,

political, economic and socio-cultural environments (Atere, 2006). According to Abdulkarim

(2010), geography as an academic subject is geared towards teaching the interrelationships

among phenomenon on the earth surface and those in the atmosphere. As a Senior Secondary

School subject according to Obioma (2008), the Nigerian Educational Research and

Development Council (NERDC) summarized the scope of geography into seven themes -Local