Effects of Guided Inquiry and Cooperative Instructional Strategies on Ss1 Students’ Academic Achievement In Conceptual Understanding of Photosynthesis.

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of guided inquiry instructional and Cooperative instructional strategies on SS1 students' academic achievement in conceptual understanding of Photosynthesis in Port Harcourt Education Zone of Rivers State, Nigeria. 186 students used for the study were obtained by purposive sampling based on the availability of science laboratory and biology teacher with not less than five years teaching experience. One class of Senior Secondary One (SS1) students from three Coeducational Senior Secondary Schools was randomly assigned to experiment and control groups. The instrument titled for Biology Achievement Test on Photosynthesis (BATOP) was developed, validated and used for data collection. The research questions were answered with Mean and Standard Deviation; while the hypotheses were tested with ANOVA and ANCOVA. Result revealed that 5E guided inquiry instructional strategy proved to be more effective in the teaching and understanding of concepts of Photosynthesis than Cooperative Instructional Strategy and the conventional lecture method; Mean difference between GIIS and CIS= 4.016; GIIS and LM = 19.410. It was recommended that 5E Guided Instructional Strategy should be used to teach the concepts of Photosynthesis so as to improve male and female academic achievement in both internal and external examinations.