EFFECT OF DATA VISUALIZATION–BASED INSTRUCTION ON SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT AND RETENTION IN CHEMICAL REACTIONS IN BAYELSA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the effect of data visualization–based instruction on senior secondary school students’ achievement and retention in Chemical reactions in Bayelsa State. Four research questions and four null hypotheses guided the study and were tested at the 0.05 level of significance. The study employed a quasi-experimental, pre-test, post-test, non-equivalent group research design. The population comprised approximately 19,693 Senior Secondary School II (SS II) students in 195 public secondary schools in Bayelsa State. A sample of 396 students was purposively selected from four co-educational secondary schools due to the use of intact classes for the experiment. Data were collected using a teacher-made instrument titled Chemical Reactions Achievement Test (CRAT). The instrument was validated through face and content validation, while its reliability was established using 25 SS II students in a public senior secondary school in Delta State which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.81. The CRAT was administered as a pre-test to both the experimental and control groups before treatment. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed that students taught chemical reactions using data visualization–based instruction achieved higher mean scores and demonstrated better retention than students in the control group. The findings also showed that male students in the experimental group performed better and retained more than their female counterparts. Based on the findings, the study recommended that Chemistry teachers should adopt data visualization–based instructional approaches to improve students’ achievement and retention in chemical reactions.