Effect of constructivist instructional strategy on students' achievement in Economics in Calabar Education Zone, Cross River State

Abstract

This study investigated the Effect of Constructivist Instructional Strategy (CIS) on Students' Achievement in Economics in Calabar Education Zone, Cross River State. The study utilized a quasi-experimental design of non-equivalent pretest, posttest control. Two research questions and hypotheses guided the study and were tested at .05 level of significance. A total of 152 SSH students from the population of 3,413 participated in the study. Four schools, two each were assigned experimental and control groups. The 76 students consisting of 38 males and 38 females were exposed to the use of constructivist instructional strategy while lecture-based method was used for 76 students consisting of 38 males and 38 females in the control group. Economics Achievement Test (EAT) was administered to the subjects before and after the treatment. A test reliability index of 0.84 was obtained for the instrument. Research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The findings revealed that students taught Economics using CIS had a higher mean achievement scores than those taught Economics using conventional method. Also, males and females' performances in Economics using CIS was not significantly different. Based on the findings of this study, it is hoped that CIS is harnessed in teaching Economics in Nigeria secondary schools.