ABSTRACT
Concepts in physics education underpin a high level of technical knowledge and therefore are crucial to success in many technical disciplines. However, misconceptions in elementary physics are quite common among secondary school students. According to the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) report, the candidates’ responses to a large extent showed partial concept development at school level. Therefore, it was important to identify and implement the most effective teaching and learning methods that can reduce instances of physics misconceptions and enhance both short-term and long-term achievement. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine if combining instructional concept mapping (ICM) and conventional instructional techniques (CIT) would improve students’ achievement in physics, focusing on the topic ‘electric current’. The quasi-experimental design used pre-test and post-test with control and experimental groups. The main independent variables were the instructional concept mapping and conventional instructional techniques while the dependent variable was “students’ achievement in physics”. The samples were four streams of Form Three students from two secondary schools in Nairobi County. The experimental group comprised one stream from the boys’ school and girls’ school randomly selected and was taught physics using a combination of instructional concept mapping and CIT. The control group comprised of similar composition but taught using CIT only. Data was gathered on the students learning achievements in physics, the role of physics teacher and student, and challenges encountered in lessons employing ICM and CIT. Four validated data gathering instruments were used, (i) a classroom observation schedule, (ii) a teacher questionnaire, (iii) a student questionnaire, and (iv) two physics’ achievement tests. Content validity was achieved through subject matter expert’s verifications based on the experts’ opinion of experienced physics teachers. Analysis of data was done using both descriptive and inferential statistics. For descriptive statistics, frequency distribution, means and standard deviations was used. The t- test was employed for the inferential statistics, that is, to determine the level of significance between marks scored in achievement tests. It was found that students in the concept mapping group were more participative in class and obtained a statistically significant higher mean gain on the physics test compared to the non-concept mapping class, with p < 0.05. This short-term learning gain is therefore academically significant. The concept maps also provided better ways of summarizing concepts learned during the lesson thereby making it relatively easier for the lessons to be reviewed and key points in the lesson reported or reinforced as is required. It was concluded that generating instructional concept maps is an effective teaching and learning tool for developing concepts of electric current in physics.
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Kenya’s economy requires a steady supply of scientifically and technologically knowledgeable human resource (Mutahi, 2009). This underscores the fact that science and technology have immense contribution to the growth and development of a country. Consequently, students should be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills in science and technology to function in modern times.
Any breakthrough in science and technology is deeply rooted in the strength of science education. It is in recognition of this dominant position occupied by science that during the Fifth Ordinary Session of the Conference of Ministers of Education in Africa (COMEDAF V) held in April 2012 in Abuja, Nigeria, Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) was showcased as model ‘Centre of Excellence’ in the promotion of quality of mathematics and science education at the basic level in Africa (Mutula, 2012).
Physics is one of the science subjects taught under science education. Advancements in technologies in information and communication, medical, environmental, crime control and security, among others, are some of the achievements brought about by physics. Therefore, specific priority of physics in the development of scientific and technological programmes of a nation is important.
In Kenya, the experience of low enrolment and poor performance in physics among students at varying levels of learning is reflected in the candidates’ performance in the
Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) Physics examination between the years 2006 and 2010 as shown in Table 1.1.
Table 1.1: Candidates’ overall performance in Physics in the years 2006 to 2010
| Year | Candidature | Percentage Candidature | Maximum Score | Mean Score | Standard Deviation |
| 2006 | 72,299 | 29.70% | 200 | 80.63 | 73.00 |
| 2007 | 83,162 | 30.12% | 200 | 82.63 | 35.00 |
| 2008 | 93,692 | 30.72% | 200 | 73.42 | 35.43 |
| 2009 | 104,883 | 31.09% | 200 | 62.62 | 34.02 |
| 2010 | 109,811 | 30.72% | 200 | 70.22 | 35.73 |
Source: KNEC KCSE examination reports (2006 – 2010).
From Table 1.1, it can be observed that students’ participation in physics reduces as they progress through education with enrolment in KCSE ranging between 29.70% and 31.09% of the total candidature. The mean students’ performance in the examinations has also stagnated at scores between 62.62 and 82.63 out of a maximum score of 200.
The poor performance in the physics national examinations calls for intervention. This formed the basis of cooperation between the Government of Kenya (GOK) through Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST) and the Government of Japan (GOJ) through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) since 1998 to build capacities of mathematics and science teachers through the Strengthening of Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education (SMASSE) Project. It was an intervention to address poor students’ performance in mathematics and science subjects in the KCSE examination. The overall goal was to upgrade ability of secondary school students in
mathematics and science through In-Service Education and Training (INSET) of teachers of these subjects to improve their teaching.
At the onset of SMASSE Project in 1998, a baseline study was conducted to identify factors responsible for poor performance in mathematics and science at secondary school level. The study identified negative attitude toward mathematics and science, poor teaching methodology, inadequate mastery of teaching subject content, inadequate teaching and learning materials that include ill-equipped laboratories, and school management among other factors (Waititu and Orado, 2009). The project technical team identified teaching methodology as the overriding factor and focused on INSET for teachers to improve their teaching practices. The project team designed an instructional approach known as ASEI-PDSI approach, an acronym for Activity, Student, Experiment, and Improvisation (ASEI) and Plan, Do, See and Improve (PDSI). This approach endeavours to shift teaching and learning from knowledge-based teaching to activity- based learning, teacher-centred teaching to learner-centred learning, expository to experiment, research and improvisation.
Concept mapping based instruction is one of the instructional strategies advocated by CEMASTEA as a learner-centred learning approach (Makoba, 2012). Concept mapping is a meta-learning strategy based on the Ausubel-Novak-Gowin theory of meaningful learning (Novak and Gowin, 1984). Its advantage lies on the fact that learning new knowledge is dependent on what is already known. It upholds that new knowledge gains meaning when it can be largely related to a framework of existing knowledge rather than being processed and stored in isolation. It mainly emphasizes the meaningful relationships between variables or sub-concepts in the main concept.
Concept mapping based instruction is considered an active rather than passive learning task, and it serves as an elaborative study activity when students are guided to construct concept maps in the presence of the materials they are learning. It requires students to enrich the material they are studying and encode meaningful relationships among concepts within an organized knowledge structure. Instructional concept maps also serve to reinforce students’ understanding, and assess their achievement, among other educational applications.
In view of the immense contribution of concept mapping based instruction to the process of teaching and learning science and mathematics, it is an invaluable area for more research, particularly in the case of SMASSE’s ASEI-PDSI implementation programme.
Teaching and learning of physics concepts should take into account that students are from varied backgrounds and that they do not all learn in the same way. Hence, teaching should not be considered a linear process with a one-way delivery of knowledge but rather a combination of learner-centred learning and an interactive process between students and teachers. If learner-centred ASEI-PDSI approaches are appropriately selected and correctly put into practice by physics teachers then this would immensely contribute towards improving the students’ poor performance currently being experienced in the national examinations. This study intended to research on concept mapping based instruction, a strategy less explored by teachers in Kenya, but which can enable learners to fully develop and clearly remember physics concepts, and consequently perform better in physics examinations.
