EFFECT OF JIGSAW I COOPERATIVE LEARNING STRATEGY ON PHYSICS STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES AND ACHIEVEMENT IN ELECTROMAGNETISM IN BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of jigsaw I cooperative learning strategy on physics students’

attitudes and achievement in Electromagnetism in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Four research questions

and four hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a quasi-experimental research design,

specifically, the pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design in which intact groups are

assigned to the experimental and control groups. The population of the study comprised of the

entire 125 students (102 male students and 23 female students) of Physics Department of Aminu

Saleh College of Education Azare and Adamu Tafawa Balewa College of Education, Kangere, Bauchi

State from which 38 NCE II physics students were used. Two instruments were used in collecting

data for the study namely; Electromagnetism Students’ Achievement Test (ESAT) and Students’

Attitudes towards Physics Questionnaire (SATPQ). Both instruments were validated by the experts.

The reliability of the SATPQ was found to be 0.76 using Cronbach’s coefficient alpha method on

the Statistical package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Software Version 25;while the reliability of ESAT

was found to be 0.84, using kuder-Richardson formula 20 (K-R 20).The analysis was done using

the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 25and 0.05 level of significance was

adopted for testing the hypotheses. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) were used

to answer the research questions while inferential statistics (ANCOVA) was used to test the

hypotheses. The findings from the study revealed that Jigsaw I cooperative learning strategy had

a significant effect on students’ attitudes towards learning Electromagnetism; that is, after students

were exposed to treatment using jigsaw I cooperative learning strategy they have developed better

attitude towards Physics. It is also revealed that there is significant difference between the posttest mean achievement scores of the students taught Electromagnetism using jigsaw I cooperative

learning strategy and their counterparts using conventional lecture method; that is Jigsaw I

cooperative learning strategy enhanced students’ achievement in Electromagnetism more than

conventional lecture method that is popular and commonly used by Physics teachers. The findings

also showed that the male students achieved slightly higher than their female counterparts after

treatment. Based on the findings of the study, some recommendations were made as, seminars

and workshops should be organized by professional bodies like Science Teachers Association of

Nigeria (STAN) on jigsaw I cooperative learning strategy to stimulate and popularize their use in

classrooms and Physics teachers should be encouraged to use jigsaw I cooperative learning

strategy as a method of instruction in order to improve their teaching, students’ attitude and

achievement in physics.