Facilitating Independent and Collective Writing Skill Proficiency: The Think-Pair-Share Strategy Involvement

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of Think-Pair-Share (TPS) strategy and the Conventional method on students’ performance and attitude to essay writing in senior secondary schools in Ondo State. Methodology: The study adopted a quasi-experimental pre-test post-test two-group design as well as a descriptive survey-type design. The population for the study comprised all the public Senior Secondary School (SSS) III students of the 2021/2022 Session in Ondo State. The sample for this study was 65 SSS III students that were selected purposively. The two instruments used for this study are Essay Writing Attitudinal Scale and Students’ Socio-economic Background Status (EWASSSBS) and the Essay Writing Performance Test (EWPT). The reliability of EWPT was established through the test re-test method and a reliability coefficient of 0.70 was obtained while a reliability of EWASSSBS was obtained. The scores of the respondents from single administration were subjected to the Cronbach Alpha Reliability Co-efficient test and 0.82 was obtained. Findings: The outcome revealed a substantial difference between the two groups Post-Treatment Performance Scores. The post-treatment performance means score for the TPS group was 15.67, whereas the post-performance mean score for the conventional group was 12.63. The results also showed that students who were taught essay writing utilising the TPS technique had a significantly different attitude. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy, and Practice: The study concluded that the TPS strategy enables student involvement in the learning process. The teachers encourage learning rather than being the exclusive source of knowledge for the students. Through collaborative learning, students have the chance to exchange ideas, respond, think creatively, discuss, critique, and assist their peers in creating better essays. As a result, we recommend that the government should ensure that English Language teachers are trained on how to use TPS strategies at regular intervals so that they can supplement the conventional method of teaching essay writing in Nigerian schools.