ABSTRACT
The study investigated the effects of Think-Pair
Share (TPS) and Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) on senior secondary
school students’ achievement and interest in Economics. It adopted the
non-equivalent pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. The sample for the
study consisted of two hundred and twenty-four (224) senior secondary school
two (SSS II) Economics students in Nsukka Metropolis. Six research
questions and six hypotheses guided the study respectively. Instruments for
data collection consisted of Economics Achievement Test (EAT) and Economics
Interest Scale (EIS), which were validated and trial tested to ascertain their
respective psychometric properties or indices. The reliability coefficients for
Economics Achievement Test (EAT) and Economics Interest Scale (EIS) were 0.960
and 0.873 respectively. Mean scores were used in answering the six research
questions while the Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), t-test and Mann-Whitney testwere
used in testing the six hypotheses for the study. The findings revealed that Think-Pair
Share (TPS) significantly improved students’ achievement in Economics.
Similarly, Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) significantly enhanced
students’ achievement in Economics. Female students achieved better than their
male counterparts. Think-Pair Share (TPS) cooperative learning instructional
strategy significantly enhanced students’ interest in Economics. Student
Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) cooperative learning instructional strategy
significantly enhanced students’ interest in Economics. Think-Pair Share (TPS)
cooperative learning instructional strategy significantly improved female
students’ interest in Economics than their male counterparts. It was concluded
that both Think-Pair Share (TPS) and Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD)
are effective for teaching and learning of Economics. It was recommended
amongst others that faculties of education, institutes of education, colleges
of education and teachers’ training institutes should not merely emphasise
innovative instructional strategies in their methodology courses, but should
ensure their practical application in teaching and learning process. This will
help Economics teachers to be knowledgeable in the utilization of Think-Pair
Share (TPS) and Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) in the teaching of
the subject.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
of the study
The knowledge of Economics as a
subject is generally considered very vital in fostering societal development.
It is therefore germane for technological, social, economic, political,
institutional and physical development of every society. Economic Education Web
(EcEdWeb) (2014) asserted that students should be taught Economics so as to
develop the skills and knowledge with which they would take important decisions
today and in future, especially in their roles as future leaders of the
society. Foundation for Teaching Economics (2014) also affirmed that the future
of students and the society depends on the ability of students to make
informed, prudent and rational decisions. The knowledge of Economics could
assist them to make rational decisions (New Zealand Commerce & Economics
Teachers Association (NZCETA), 2014).
The teaching and learning of
Economics also develops in students the knowledge of finance. This financial
education is developed through the inculcation of financial skills. Council for
Economic Education (2014) opined that financial literacy is needed for students
to have a bright and successful future, which could make a massive difference
in curbing generational monetary mismanagement. Bell (2014) revealed that
students’ financial skills have a significant positive impact on their
employability. These financial skills are also germane for students’
entrepreneurial career, wealth generation and poverty eradication. The teaching
and learning of Economics is therefore vital in making citizens self-reliant
and productive.
Nigerian government recognises the
importance of Economics to societal development, by ensuring its integration
into the school curricula. Nigerian Educational Research and Development
Council (NERDC) (2008) stated that the philosophy of Economics curriculum aimed
at preparing students for entrepreneurial career and getting them acquainted
with evolving economic-developmental issues capable of repositioning Nigeria
strategy be among the twenty most developed economies in the world by the year
2020. Its curriculum therefore focuses on using education to empower the
citizenry through value-orientation and re-orientation, consumer education and
skills’ acquisition. This is in consonance with the National Policy on
Education, which emphasised that the senior secondary education shall amongst
others provide entrepreneurial and career skills for self-reliance and societal
development (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2009).
However, as important as teaching
and learning of Economics is, teachers, government, parents, and other
stakeholders have been uncomfortable over the recent poor achievement and low
interest of students in the subject at the senior secondary school level. This
is evident in the West African Examinations Council Chief Examiner’s report on
the Senior School Certificate Examination (2005) which revealed that the
percentage of candidates that failed Economics increased from 21.29 % in 2004
to 28.41 % in 2005. This fell slightly to 24.37 % in 2006. The Chief Examiner’s
report (2009) also showed that between 2006 and 2009, candidates overall
performance fell. The Chief Examiner’s Report (2013) further revealed that
there was no significant improvement in candidates’ performance from 2009 to
2013. These reports collectively and individually attributed poor achievement
in Economics to several factors rising from poor teacher preparation,
inadequate infrastructural facilities, inadequate funding, and problem of
policy implementation to ineffective teaching methods.
The West African Examinations
Council (2014) has noted that challenge of dearth of infrastructure and
manpower in senior secondary schools as well as over population of students are
responsible for poor students’ achievement. Problem of students’ over
population is a precursor for the urgent need of instructional approaches that
would facilitate learning in spite of classroom congestion. The Chief
Examiner’s Report (2013) further identified that many candidates lacked
manipulative skill, explanatory skill, discussion skill, communication skill,
and writing skill. They could not articulate their ideas intelligently on
paper, and could not manage their time well; they spent most of their time
writing down irrelevant preambles that earned them no marks. Amongst other
recommendations were that the teachers should develop skills for critical
thinking in the students, rote learning should be discouraged; the discussion
and practice of topical economic issues in the classrooms should be
strengthened, so that students would be able to link connections between
theoretical economic principles and real-world events. These recommendations
can be effectively implemented through the employment of appropriate and relevant
innovative teaching strategies.
Indeed, the main purpose of any
instructional process is to bring about desirable learning outcomes for
students, especially in form of improved academic achievement and interest.
Achievement describes the level of success in relation to a task that is
carried out. Uwalaka (2013) conceptualized achievement as something very good
but difficult, which is carried out successfully. Academic achievement is an
output of an instructional process. It measures the extent to which students
have attained the stated objectives (Igbo, Okafor, &Eze, 2014). In the
words of Jebur, Jasin and Jaboori (2011) achievement is the accomplishment of
performance in a particular subject matter. They further noted that it is the
learning that takes place under a specific course of instruction. It is thus
the mastery of skills and knowledge which learners gain in the course of an
instructional process usually measured by an achievement test. The results of
achievement test provide information on the extent to which students have
attained stated instructional objectives.
Interest refers to the
psychological state of engaging with particular classes of objects, events, or
ideas over time (Hidi&Renninger,
2006). McGrew (2008) defined interest as the focused interaction between
an individual and a class of objects, ideas or activities that results in a
lasting affective disposition towards the objects, ideas or activities.
Interest is the earnest desire to know something (Eze, 2008). Durik and Harackiewicz (2007) identified
two types of interest, namely: situational interest and personal interest.
Situational interest is said to be spontaneous, transitory, and environmentally
triggered, while personal interest is less spontaneous, of lasting personal
value and activated internally. Most often, situational interest precedes,
facilitates and reinforces the development of personal interest. Thus, while
situational interest catches students’ attention, personal interest sustains
and reinforces it.
Instructional strategy adopted by a
teacher during an instructional process is a crucial factor in determining
effective and productive teaching and learning. This position is reinforced by
CENGAGE Learning (2014) that students’ responses, in a survey on what sparks
students’ engagement and interest in the teaching and learning process,
revealed that for teaching and learning process to be interesting, exciting and
fun, the teaching method adopted by the teacher is a crucial factor. The
Economics Network (2009) identified teaching method as one of the factors why
Economics is difficult for students. National Economics Teaching Association
(NETA) (2014) emphasized that students’ engagement in the teaching and learning
process is the foundation of learning. The assertion of Gamson (2010) reflects
that the instructional method employed by the teacher plays a crucial role in
the acquisition and understanding of skills and meaningful learning.
Goodman (2010) opined that there
are numerous strategies available for teachers to employ in order to
efficaciously teach and promote life-long learning. The Nigerian Educational
Research and Development Council (NERDC) (2008) pointed out that Economics is a
living subject and has to be taught and learned in a practical, enthusiastic
and realistic way. Since Economics is both theory and concept-based (that is,
abstract in nature), there is a need for teaching strategies that can permeate
its abstract and difficult nature. It is also strongly emphasised by the NERDC
(2008) that Economics teachers should employ interactive and learner-oriented
instructional strategies such as cooperative learning strategies to teach
learners. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2008) strongly recommends that
cooperative learning should be used to teach Economics at the senior secondary
schools. This trend has direct relevance
to constructivism.
Dheeraj and Kumari (2013) asserted
that constructivism has brought a revolution in the field of education and this
is affirmed by various research studies all over the world. Constructivist
theory emphasises an active and learner-centred learning process where learners
construct their own ideas which are connected to their prior knowledge. This is
based on the belief that learning occurs and is made effective when learners
are actively involved in the teaching and learning activities, rather than
passively receiving instruction (Gray, 2011). This helps learners to transform
information, transfer knowledge, formulate hypotheses and look at alternative
decisions, through their cognitive structure (that is, schema). It is an
arrangement whereby both the teacher and learners are engaged in an active
dialog and in which the teacher gives students questions rather than answers.
Scholars have emphasized that an engaged student is a successful one (National
Economics Teaching Association (NETA), 2014). The researcher therefore
considered a study of instructional strategies that hinge on constructivist
theory not only pertinent, but also relevant to senior secondary school
students’ achievement and interest in Economics.
Goodman (2010) noted that
cooperative learning instructional strategies coincided with constructivist
theory. Cooperative learning is a team learning activity that is systematically
organised for learning to be socially structured in order to facilitate
exchange of information, ideas and knowledge among learners and in which
learners are individually held accountable for their learning and are motivated
to enhance the learning of their partners (Kirby, 2008). Having students work
in teams/ pairs helps students to master the subject matter, it gingers
students’ writing skills and it motivates students’ appreciation of real-life
situations (Johnston &Karageorgis, 2009). Research on classroom cooperative
learning techniques in which learners work in teams and receive rewards based
on their group performance has gained wide popularity in the past few years
(Slavin, 2014).
Hernandez (2002) positioned that
cooperative learning is a comprehensive pedagogy designed to facilitate active
learning and higher level thinking. Cooperative learning instructional
techniques include the following, amongst several others: Jigsaw; Co-operative
Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC); Learning Together (LT); Think Pair
Share (TPS); Timed Pair Share and Student-Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD).
Jigsaw is a cooperative learning instructional strategy that builds students’
expertise in the subject matter. It makes every student to be both an expert and
a receiver of knowledge. The teacher assigns students to a group which is not
more than five to six students. The group is given a problem to solve or a task
to perform as a group. Consequently, the entire group becomes experts in that
area. The students thereafter reform in new groups (home group) with people
from different areas of expertise to share their information and to hear from
others (Australian Catholic University Learning and Teaching Centre, 2012).
Co-operative Integrated Reading and
Composition (CIRC) is a cooperative learning instructional strategy that
divides students into groups composed of two pairs from two different groups.
The groups are heterogeneous, made up of a high ability pair and a low ability
pair, while the pairs are homogeneous in ability. The teacher provides
different reading materials to the pairs according to their ability so that all
the students have an equal opportunity to accomplish the instructional
objectives, irrespective of their ability. Though the pairs are given different
tasks to work on, the higher ability pair also helps the lower ability pair to
learn. Scores are awarded to each member who has successfully completed the
three major language activities, which are basal-related activities; direct
instruction in reading comprehension and integrated language arts/writing. Each
member’s scores are added to the group’s scores each week. The teacher gives
rewards to the groups who attain the required scores (Li & Lam, 2013).
Learning Together (LT) is also a
co-operative learning instructional strategy originated by David Johnson and
Roger Johnson. The model was designed to have a characteristic feature of five
(5) elements of co-operative learning, namely: positive interdependence,
individual and group accountability, face-to-face interaction, interpersonal
and small group skills and group processing. In the classroom application of
Learning Together (LT), the teacher divides the class into four-or five-member
heterogeneous groups. The groups are given problems to solve and submitted the
tasks as a team. There is no individual submission but group submission and
rewards are given based on the scores of each group. Learning Together (LT)
cooperative learning instructional strategy encourages team-building activities
in teaching and learning process (Li & Lam, 2013).
Ariyani (2011) wrote that Think
Pair Share is a cooperative technique that quickly becomes an entire class
technique and a pedagogy designed to provide learners with “food for thought”
on a given topic and concept; enabling them to bring out their individual ideas
and share the ideas with one another. Ariyani also noted that as a cooperative
learning strategy, Think Pair Share encourages Indonesian students’ peer
acceptance, peer support, academic achievement, retention, interest and
transfer of knowledge. Think Pair Share is a cooperative learning strategy that
incorporates three stages namely: time for thinking, time for sharing with a
partner and time for each pair to share back to a larger group. Goodman further
noted that it provides bedrock for scaffolding where necessary, while
incorporating positive interdependence, individual accountability and face to
face interaction amongst learners. Think Pair Share cooperative learning
technique is capable of promoting learning with or without the presence of the
teacher as asserted by Jannah (2013).
Ariyani (2011) researched on the
application of Think Pair Share in teaching writing a recount text. The
research was carried out in Indonesia. Findings showed that the application of
Think Pair Share is an effective way to make students active in the class and
develop in them four language skills, namely speaking skill, writing skill,
listening skill, and reading skill, to achieve a goal of functional literacy.
This is in consonance with the position of Gamson (2010) that for a learning
strategy to make an instructional process to be productive, learners must not
just listen and copy note, they must read, write, discuss, listen and respond
to questions. They must involve in higher-order thinking tasks, they must
analyse, synthesis, and evaluate ideas and concepts.
Ariyami (2011) Timed Pair Share
cooperative learning strategy was developed from Think Pair Share. It is more
flexible in its usage and has a wider application than Think Pair Share; it is
an improvement on Think Pair Share. For example, in a class where a teacher
employs Think Pair Share learning technique, one student in a pair can
monopolise the discussion while Timed Pair Share allows for more equal participation
of partners in a pair. However, there has not been wide application of these
interactive and student-oriented instructional strategies in Economics
classroom, to the best of this researcher’s knowledge.
Students should be part of the
teaching and this happens in several ways. For instance, when a student asks a
question, another student answers the question. The teacher and the students
can jointly take decisions (McKeachie&Svinicki, 2014). Goodman (2010)
investigated how the use of active learning strategies of Think Pair Share and
Student Summaries during reading, could affect students’ performance. Findings
showed among other things that Think Pair Share improved students’ reading
skill. The study was carried out in Menomonie, USA. Carss (2007) in New Zealand
did a research work on the effects of Think Pair Share strategies, used during
guided reading lessons on reading achievement. Result showed that it has
positive effects on students’ social skill and reading achievement,
particularly for students reading above their chronological age. Active class
discourages passivity and encourages students’ motivation, keeps them engaged
in the learning process, increases their energy, enthusiasm and involvement
(McKeachie&Svinicki, 2014).
Ofodu and Lawal (2011) investigated
the comparative effects of Think Pair Share and Reciprocal teaching methods of
cooperative learning instructional strategies on students’ reading performance
in schools. The research was done in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Their findings
showed that Reciprocal teaching method is slightly more efficacious than Think
Pair Share while the two methods are superior to the conventional method and
therefore should be used in schools. Jebur et al. (2011) carried out a study on
the effect of using the Think Pair Share as a new technique on college
students’ achievement in the course of General English in Al – Mustansiriyah
University in Baghdad, Iraq. Their study revealed that the experimental group,
which has practiced Think Pair Share, was better in achievement than the
control group, which has not practiced it. Research works have also shown that
teachers have to give three to five minutes to their students to think through
the information they are receiving from the teacher (CENGAGE Learning, 2014).
Adesoji and Ibraheem (2009)
investigated the effects of Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) strategy
and mathematics ability on senior secondary school chemistry students’ learning
outcome in chemical kinetics. A pretest, posttest control group quasi experimental
design was employed for the study. The study was carried out in Epe division of
Lagos State, Nigeria. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the
data with pre-test scores as covariates in order to adjust for initial
differences in the sample. Multiple classification analysis (MCA) was also used
to examine the magnitude of the differences among the groups. The findings
revealed that there were significant main effects of treatment on students
achievement and attitude (F=190.58; p<0.05) and (F=379.275, p<0.05)
respectively. Tran (2013) also investigated the effect of cooperative learning
on the academic achievement in mathematics and attitudes of seventy four 9th
grade mathematics students towards mathematics in a high school in Vietnam. Using
a pretest and posttest non-equivalent comparison group design and t-test for
independent samples. The results of the study showed that experimental group
had significantly higher scores than the control group. Amato (2005) in
agreement with Ladd et al. (2014) found team learning to be a productive and
functional approach.
Despite the merits of Think-Pair
Share (TPS) and Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD), they have not
gained popularity in the field of social science education, particularly in
Economics education. Hence the researcher decided to investigate the effects of
both types of cooperative learning instructional strategies on senior secondary
school students’ achievement and interest in Economics. It would seem that such
research is timely, considering that the Federal Government of Nigeria has
identified cooperative learning strategies as effective instructional
strategies that foster joint construction of learning and develop metacognition
(Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), 2008). There seems also to be little
work for now on cooperative learning instructional strategies using Think-Pair
Share (TPS) and Student Teams- Achievement Divisions (STAD) teaching strategies
in Economics education to the best of this researcher’s knowledge. This study
aims at filling this gap, especially since it has been empirically stated that
cooperative learning strategies like Think-Pair Share (TPS) and Student
Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) could be employed in a variety of contexts
and in several fields of study (Teacher Vision, 2011). The investigation of the
effects of Think-Pair Share (TPS) and Student Teams-Achievement Divisions
(STAD) on senior secondary school students’ achievement and interest in
Economics is thus timely and demanding, more so that there was no significant
improvement in students’ achievement in Economics.
Achievement and interest of
students in relation to gender has been of concern to parents, educators,
scholars, researchers, and government. Gender is a social concept that is set
to differentiate between the two sexes, male and female; with respect to their
roles (Eze, 2008). Kolawole (2007) noted that some research works found that
there are still significant differences in the achievements of learners with
regard to gender. Kolawole investigated the comparative effects of competitive
and cooperative learning strategies on Nigerian students’ academic achievement
in Mathematics and found out that males achieved better than females in both
cooperative and competitive learning strategies. In contrast to Kolawole, Yusuf
and Afolabi (2010) found out that gender had no effect on achievement of
students in computer-assisted cooperative learning. Gambari, Shittu and Taiwo
(2013) also investigated how Cooperative Computer Instruction (CCI) could
enhance students’ achievement in Algebra concepts. The study also examined the
influence of gender on the achievement of students exposed to Student
Teams-Achievement Divisions and Individualised Computer Instruction (ICI). The
findings of the study revealed that the achievement of students exposed to
Cooperative Computer Instruction (CCI) was better than those taught using
Individualised Computer Instruction (ICI) and conventional classroom
instruction. However, there was no significant difference between male and
female students taught using CCI and ICI. These contradictory results have
necessitated the inclusion of gender as moderating variable in this work. This
is for the purpose of knowledge advancement on gender studies, and to show empirically
the gender biased-nature of cooperative learning.
Statement
of the problem
It was reported that there was no
significant improvement in students’ achievement in Economics from 2009 to
2013, while it was also emphasized that Economics should be taught in practical
and lively ways. Indeed, Economics being a living subject, needs to be taught
in a way that is lively and meaningful, in order to arouse and sustain the
interest of the students, thereby improving achievement rate. The major worry
being on the report that there was no significant improvement in students’
achievement in Economics. A need, therefore, arises for exploring and
investigating some innovative teaching strategies for meaningful teaching and
learning of Economics. Think-Pair Share (TPS) and Student Teams-Achievement
Divisions (STAD) could reduce the abstract nature of Economics and enable
students develop knowledge and skills, such as listening skill, questioning
skill, communication skill, retentive skill and manipulative skill. The problem
of this study therefore is to determine the extent to which Think-Pair Share
(TPS) and Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) will improve senior
secondary school students’ achievement and interest in Economics.
Purpose
of the study
The purpose of the study was to
investigate the effects of Think-Pair Share (TPS) and Student Teams-Achievement
Divisions (STAD) on senior secondary school students’ achievement and interest
in Economics. Specifically, the study sought to determine the:
- Effect of Think-Pair Share (TPS) on students’ achievement in Economics.
- Effect of Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) on students’ achievement in Economics.
- Achievement level of male and female students in Economics when taught using Think-Pair Share (TPS).
- Effect of Think-Pair Share (TPS) on students’ interest in Economics.
- Effect of Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) on students’ interest in Economics.
- Interest level of male and female students in Economics when taught using Think-Pair Share (TPS).
Significance
of the study
The findings of this study will be
of practical and theoretical benefits to the following stakeholders: Economics
students, Economics teachers, textbook authors, examiners, government,
curriculum planners and the society at large.
Practically, the findings will be
significant to the students because they will be taught in an active class,
harnessing the merits of Think-Pair Share (TPS) and Student Teams-Achievement
Divisions (STAD). It would develop in the students listening skill, writing
skill, communication skill, time management skill, manipulative skill amongst
other skills needed for self-development and self-reliance. It will also make
the teaching of Economics to be practical to real life, less abstract, remove
fear/ phobia, remove frustration, and thereby solve the problem of poor
students’ achievement in Economics. The students will get this benefit in form
of significant improvement in their academic achievement.
The results of this study will be
of great benefit to Economics teachers due to the fact that this study will
employ activity-based and student-centered instructional strategies. They
provide additional methods of teaching Economics, which are capable of holding
students attention, ginger their interest and make them participate fully in
the lesson. Teachers will get these benefits through the application of
Think-Pair Share (TPS) and Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) in the
teaching and learning of Economics. The benefit will also be through an
improved teaching performance.
The findings will also help
Economics teachers who do not know the efficacy of these types of cooperative
learning to be informed and trained through publications, seminars, symposia,
workshops and conferences that would be organised by government through its
ministry of education thereby providing the teachers with alternative methods
of teaching Economics, for easy understanding and improved achievement by the
students.
The findings will help textbook
authors to produce more relevant Economics textbooks on innovative
instructional strategies in Economics. This will bring about innovative and
interactive teaching and learning of Economics, in line with modern trend in
the education sector. This will also tend towards expanding the frontier of
knowledge in Economics Education. The textbook authors will get this benefit
when government enforces strict adherence to effective curriculum
implementation, precisely the utilization of recommended innovative teaching
methods.
The findings of this study will
also be of great significance to examiners when upon the application of
Think-Pair Share and Student Teams-Achievement Divisions in the classrooms by
Economics teachers, there is a very significant improvement in students’
academic achievement and interest. The examiners will get this benefit when
students’ academic deficiencies are being taken care of through the application
of recommended teaching methods.
The findings will help the
government in the formulation of education policies, bringing to the knowledge
of government the contemporary and innovative issues in teaching and learning
of Economics. This will also furnish the government on the need to re-design
Senior Secondary School Economics curriculum in order to actualize the goal of
inculcating leadership and entrepreneurial skills in the students. The findings
of the study will also help the curriculum planners in bringing innovation into
the curriculum planning.
The findings of the study would
also benefit the society at large because it will come to have a crop of
students with sound economic knowledge which is a vital tool for a productive
living, national development and self-reliance. The society will also benefit
when students’ achievement and interest in Senior Secondary School Economics
have increased significantly and graduates that are being produced are
self-reliant, and able to take rational decisions in solving individual
problems and societal problems. This will go a long way in bringing about
lasting societal transformation and development. An improved teaching
performance by the teachers will also have a multiplier effect on the society.
Theoretically, the study is
anchored on Jean Piaget cognitive learning theory, Lee Semyonovich Vygotsky
social learning theory and Jerome Bruner cognitive learning theory. The trio of
Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruner theorized that children are active participants in
the learning process, thus advocating student-centered instructional
strategies, such as cooperative learning. The significance of the three
theories is reflected in the benefits of the interactive learning, active class
and social study groups that are advocated for in the theories. The three
theories are in tandem with various studies that strengthened the efficacy of
Think-Pair Share (TPS) and Student Teams-Achi
