THE EFFECT OF LECTURE AND QUESTIONING INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN SOCIAL STUDIES
ABSTRACT
The research is titled “The effect of lecture and questioning instructional methods on students’ academic achievement in social studies in Lagos state schools.” The study’s goal is to discover the relationship between the use of the lecture method of instruction in social studies versus the use of the questioning method and the effect on students’ academic performance in the subject.
The study was guided by four research questions and four research hypotheses. For data collection, a researcher-created questionnaire was used. The study’s sample consists of 15 secondary school social studies teachers and 150 students.
The results show that there is a significant relationship between teachers’ use of the lecture method and students’ academic performance, that there is a significant relationship between teachers’ use of the probing questions method and students’ academic performance, that there is a significant difference in student performance when either the lecture or probing questions method is used by teachers, and that teachers’ skill in using either lecture or probing questions method is significant.
The study recommends that teachers use more learner-centered instructional methods such as probing questions to increase students’ interest and performance in social studies, that students be more active during lessons rather than just taking notes, and that school officials monitor the teaching methods used by their teachers, which ultimately affect their students’ academic performance.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The Study’s Background
The principles and methods used for instruction are referred to as instructional or teaching methods. Class participation, demonstration, recitation, memorization, and other methods of instruction are commonly used, as are combinations of two or more of these methods.
The instructional method or methods to be used are largely determined by the information or skill being taught, but may also be influenced by the students’ aptitude and enthusiasm. (labspace.open.ac.uk/mod/resource/vi).
No single method of instruction will be effective for every learning objective or for every student in the same classroom. However, recent educational research has shown that some methods are more effective than others in promoting student learning.
A good teaching method(s) results in the desired student learning; when instruction is appropriately designed to meet their learning needs, the majority of students in a classroom will respond positively and demonstrate academic growth. Barbara J. Tewksbury and R. Heather Macdonald, 2005
According to Olalekan (2002), the following are expected to be taught in social studies:
a. The facts and theories, or fundamental principles
b. The doing, i.e. fundamental skills
c. Competence, problem-solving ability, i.e. application
d. Attitudes, values, and concepts
Not all teaching methods are equally effective with all students, and not all students learn at the same rate or face the same learning challenges. When a teacher works with a diverse group of learners, managing the group’s diverse needs can be challenging but also rewarding.
If teachers’ roles as knowledge producers, seekers, and disseminators are to be validated, students must be educated using a variety of approaches, methods, and options depending on the subject being taught.
According to Barth (1993), social studies is the interdisciplinary integration of social science and humanities concepts for the purpose of practicing problem solving and decision-making in order to develop citizenship skills on critical social issues.
As a result, the primary goal of social studies is to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in a globalized world. To achieve this primary goal in students, a social studies teacher must carefully and purposefully select his or her instructional method(s).
The term’social’ denotes that the subject is concerned with how humans interact in a social setting to solve the problems inherent in being alive, group-oriented, and capable of influencing the environment.
Students must learn to apply social studies in their daily lives by developing strategies for becoming good citizens, global citizens, and productive adults. This is a lifelong process that necessitates not only knowledge of facts but also an understanding of how to find and process necessary information.
Teaching is communication, and communication is heavily reliant on how the message is presented. The message’s meaning and impact are determined by the method of instruction used.
Methods of instruction that:
a. isolate students from actual responsible citizenship by emphasizing only reading about citizenship or future participation in the larger social and political world.
b. lecture classes in which students sit passively: classes in which students with lower ability levels are denied the same knowledge and learning opportunities as other students.
All of the above, as well as methods that assume students are ignorant or uninterested in issues raised in social studies, should be greatly reduced in social studies teaching (Best Practice: New Standards for Teaching and Learning in America’s Schools by Steven Zemelman 1993).
Methods emphasizing the following should be expanded:
a. in-depth examination of topics in each social studies field that assist students in discovering the complexities of human interaction
b. activities that engage students in critical thinking and problem solving about important human issues.
c. participation in interactive and cooperative classroom study processes that bring students of all ability levels together (Steven Zemelman 1993).
In this study, the method deemed most appropriate and suitable for achieving effective learning in social studies, which should be prioritized over other methods, is probing questions as opposed to lectures.
Problem Statement
Teaching social studies in Nigeria is linked to the Nigerian Education Philosophy, which is to instill National Consciousness, National Unity, the right type of values and attitude for the survival of the individual and the Nigerian society; to train minds in the understanding of the world around, to train minds to acquire appropriate values, ethnic beliefs, skills, abilities, and competences both method and physical as equipment for individuals to live in and c (National Policy on Education-NPE 2004).
Secondary school teachers are aware of the various teaching methodologies for teaching social studies as a subject in Junior Secondary School; however, the majority of teachers do not use the appropriate teaching methods applicable to the various contents. Teachers find it simple to use the lecture method, which does not encourage active learning and is generally unsuitable for effective social studies teaching.
Social studies courses, whether in primary or junior secondary school, are regarded as relatively unimportant subject matter. This perception reduces the importance of social studies as a serious subject area, despite the fact that no other subject matter content holds as much promise in the overall development of students’ intellect.
The consequences of a lack of understanding and appreciation for social studies can be found everywhere; for example, surveys have shown that not all registered voters vote in national elections, and many secondary school and tertiary institution students continue to cheat in assignments, tests, and exams, implying that examination malpractices are on the rise (Bob Kizlik, 2013).
Many Nigerians are unfamiliar with the duties of citizens stated in Section 24 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as well as the fundamental rights of citizens stated in Sections 33 – 44 of the same Constitution, indicating widespread illiteracy among the citizenry.
There is also a clear disconnect between the intentions and outcomes of our schools’ social studies curriculum, for example, the topic of Citizenship, where the learning outcome is good citizenship, but it is unclear whether this outcome has been/is being achieved among our pupils / students. (ADPRIMA;org, updated December 26, 2013; Bob Kizlik, A Purpose for Social Studies).
Over the years, the very poor performance of students in social studies in Nigeria’s Junior Secondary School Certificate Examinations has been a source of concern for all stakeholders in education (Ede O.S Iyamu, 2005).
Further research has linked low student achievement in social studies to poor instructional strategies (Unachukwu, 1990), inappropriate medium of instruction (STAN, 1992; Adeyegbe, 1993), and faulty teaching methods (Igba, 2005). Teachers’ overreliance on traditional teaching methods appears to be the main culprit in the prevalence of ineffective instructional strategies used in social studies instruction (Igba, 2005).
In order to combat the high failure rate of students in social studies, there is a need to look for an effective instructional strategy to teach social studies concepts that is both innovative and learner-centered (Dr. Usulor, Benjamin, E. 2012).
The purpose of this research is to determine the relationship between teachers’ teaching methods in the classroom and students’ achievement in social studies during examinations.
The Study’s Purpose/Objective
The study is structured as follows:
1. To investigate the extent and degree to which social studies teachers use the questioning method.
2. To determine the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of teachers’ lecture methods in relation to student performance.
3. Determine the difference in student performance when teachers emphasize the questioning method.
4. To assess the extent to which teachers’ teaching methods influence students’ performance.
Research Issues
The following questions are intended to guide the research:
i. To what extent does the use of the lecture method by teachers affect students’ academic performance?
ii. To what extent does the use of the questioning method by teachers affect students’ academic performance?
iii. What is the degree of difference in student performance when the two methods are emphasized differently by teachers?
iv. What is the connection between teachers’ emphasis on either the lecture or questioning method and students’ performance in social studies?
Hypotheses for Research
The following null hypotheses are tested with a 0.05 level of significance as the criterion for acceptance or rejection:
1. There is no significant relationship between teachers’ use of the lecture method and students’ academic performance.
2. There is no significant relationship between teachers’ use of probing questions and students’ academic performance.
3. There is no significant difference in student performance when teachers use either the lecture or probing questions method.
4. The ability of teachers to use either the lecture or probing question method does not have a significant impact on student performance in social studies.
The Study’s Importance
This research will be extremely beneficial to the following people:
Teachers will benefit from this study because it will assist them in carefully adopting or applying the appropriate instructional method(s) in teaching the various topics in social studies.
Students: The findings and recommendations of this study will assist students in developing an inquiring mind and problem-solving skills that they will need in the larger society.
School Authorities: The school authorities will be educated on effective teaching methods to be used by their teachers, which will eventually improve their students’ performance in social studies and help them produce responsible young citizens of Nigeria
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