Effects of Concept - Mapping Strategy on Reflective Thinking and Academic Performance in Mole - Concept Among Secondary School Chemistry Students, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated effects of concept - mapping strategy on reflective thinking and academic performance in mole - concept among secondary school chemistry students in Kaduna state, Nigeria. Quasi-experimental research design specifically, pretest posttest non-randomized control group design was adopted for the study. 643 (372 male & 271 female) senior secondary class two (SSII) Chemistry students in Giwa educational zone, Kaduna state forms total population of study. A sample size of 76 (46 Male & 30 Female) SSII students using an intact class of 2 out 14 school selected using Simple random sampling technique by balloting technique. The experimental group were taught Mole concept using conceptmapping strategy while control group were taught same concept using lecture method, respectively. Two instruments used for data collections; Mole Concept Performance Test (MCPT) and Reflective Thinking Questionnaire (RTQ), respectively. The instruments were validated by chemistry and science education experts, respectively. The MCPT and RTQ gave a reliability coefficient of 0.89 and 0.81 using Pearson Product Moment Correlation coefficient and Cronbach Alpha, respectively. Descriptive statistics was used to answer research questions while t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to test hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Result obtained revealed that students in experimental group performed significantly better than those in control group on academic performance and level of reflective thinking, respect ively. Based on findings of this study it was recommended among others that chemistry teachers should be trained and encouraged by Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) to use concept-mapping strategy in teaching chemistry so as to improve the academic performance of students.