Use of Ethnochemistry Teaching Approach and Achievement and Retention of Senior Secondary Students in Standard Mixture Separation Techniques

Abstract

The study investigated the effect of ethnochemistry teaching approach on achievement and retention of senior secondary students in standard mixture separation techniques. A sample of 198 students from six purposively selected secondary schools out of a population of 3,706 Senior Secondary I students from Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria was used for the study. The study adopted non-equivalent quasi-experimental research design. The instrument used for data collection was Separation Techniques Achievement Test (STAT) with the reliability value of 0.84 using Kuder-Richardson (KR-21). Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The research questions were answered using Mean and Standard Deviation scores while the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The study revealed that students taught mixture separation techniques using ethnochemistry approach had significantly higher mean achievement scores than those taught using discussion method [F(1,197)=405.07, P<0.05] and students taught standard mixture separation techniques using ethnochemistry approach had significantly higher mean retention scores than those taught using discussion method [F(1,197)=293.00, P<0.05]. It was recommended that chemistry teachers’ trainee should be trained on the use of ethnochemistry approach and serving teachers should be encouraged to use ethnochemistry.

Keywords: Ethnochemistry, achievement, retention, standard mixture separation techniques