Akpomudiare Helpus Efe’s scientific contributions

The study sorts out between the Target Task Approach (TTA), Analogy, and Lecture method that will best increase the achievement and retention of learned concepts. It adopted a quasi-experimental design with a study population of 42,811 and a sample of 294 students drawn from nine government schools in Delta State, Nigeria. The instrument for the study was the Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) which was found valid in face and content. The reliability was established using the Kuder-Richardson formula 21, and a reliability coefficient of 0.89 was obtained. Chemistry Achievement Test was employed in gathering data, while Analysis of Variance was used to analyse the data after the groups’ equivalence was established. The results showed, among others, that all three methods significantly affected achievement; students under Analogy and TTA achieved and retained significantly higher than those in the Lecture method. The study concluded that Analogy and TTA should be employed rather than Lecture method to improve students’ achievement and retention. It was recommended that Analogy and Target Task Approach (TTA) should be adopted by Chemistry teachers in teaching Chemistry at the secondary school level, and school administrators should provide and organise in-service training for Chemistry teachers to equip them with the required skills needed to implement Analogy and Target Task Approach (TTA) with no difficulty. This will also ensure in-depth knowledge and mastery of Chemistry concepts. Article visualizations: </p

The study was designed to investigate the effects of laboratory method on students’ acquisition of science process skills in senior secondary school Chemistry. To guide this study, three hypotheses were raised and tested. The design of the study was a non-randomised pre-test, post-test control group quasi-experimental design. Six secondary schools were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Three schools were used as the experimental group and the other three as the control group. One hundred and ninety-eight (198) students of six (6) intact classes made up of the sample for the study. The instruments for the study consisted of Chemistry Practical Ability Test (CPAT) and Chemistry Process Skills Rating Scale (CPSRS). The major findings of the study are: the laboratory method enhances students’ acquisition of science process skills in both quantitative and qualitative analyses more than the lecture method, the laboratory method contributed about 74% to students’ acquisition of science process skills and students acquire more science process skills in quantitative analysis than in qualitative analysis. Based on the findings, some recommendations were made among which are that the laboratory method should be used for teaching practical aspects of Chemistry always; Chemistry practical work should commence from senior secondary school one with separate periods per week instead of keeping students till senior secondary school three before such exposure. The conclusion of the study is that the laboratory method enhances students’ acquisition of science process skills in both quantitative and qualitative analyses rather than lectures. The following recommendations were made: the use of laboratory method should be employed in teaching practical aspects of Chemistry always, and a separate period per week should be given for laboratory activities with reference to the scheme of work among others. Article visualizations: </p

The study compared the effects of concept and mind mapping on students' academic achievement and retention. It employed quasi-experimental design, specifically pretest, posttest and delayed posttest. The study sampled 127 Senior Secondary II students from three schools in Delta State, Nigeria. The three schools were drawn through simple random sampling by balloting. Mean, standard deviation, multiple comparison sample t-test and Analysis of variance were employed in analyzing the data. The instrument for data collection was Test on Radioactivity and Electrolysis and it was content, construct and face validated. A reliability coefficient of 0.81using Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 was established. The results showed a significant difference in all the three methods employed on students' achievement. Also, the group exposed to concept and mind mapping achieved more than those exposed to lecture method. Furthermore, students exposed to concept and mind maps retained more than the control group. The study thus concluded that mind and concept maps improve students' achievement and retention significantly better than lecture method. It was recommended among others that Science educators should employ any of these mind and concept mapping in teaching these concepts and any other for increased achievement and retention.