Effects of Circle-The-Sage Cooperative Learning Strategy on Secondary School Students' Achievement and Retention in Waves and Measurements of Heat Energy Concepts

Abstract

This study examined the effects of circle-the-sage cooperative learning strategy (CSCLS) on secondary school students' achievement and retention in waves and measurements of heat energy in Jos South, Nigeria. The unsatisfactory and fluctuating achievement of students in Physics was the premise that led to the study. The study adopted the non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental research de-sign. A total of 65 senior secondary two (SS2) students (33 males and 32 females)offering Physics from two co-educational secondary schools (two intact classes)in Jos South, Nigeria was used as sample. The Waves and Measurement ofH eat Energy Achievement Test (WMHEAT), which consisted of40 multi-ple-choice items, was used to collect data for the study. The reliability coefficient of WMHEAT, using the Kuder-Richardson formula 20 on SPSS version 25, was determined as 0.85. Three research questions were answered and six formulated hypotheses were tested in this study. The mean was used to answer the research questions and the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypotheses. Findings from the study revealed that students taught using CSCLS achieved higher in waves and measurements of heat energy than those taught using conventional lecture method of instruction (CLM). It was also revealed that students taught using CSCLS retained better than those taught using CLM. Further findings showed that the CSCLS is not gender-biased. It was recommended, amongst others, that the use of CSCLS should be encouraged in secondary schools as a method of teaching and learning of Physics, as it promotes students' achievement and retention and is not gender-biased.