EFFECTS OF PROBLEM- SOLVING AND LECTURE METHODS ON STUDENTS' INTEREST, ATTITUDE AND PERFORMANCE IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN EDO STATE

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the effects of problem-solving and lecture teaching methods on students' interest, attitude and performance in Animal Husbandry in senior Secondary schools in Edo State Nigeria. The purpose of this study was therefore to determine whether teaching through problem solving teaching method will improve   students interest, attitude and performance in Animal husbandry in Edo State. The research design used in this study was quasi-experimental design. The population for this study was 24498 and a sample size of 251 SSII Animal Husbandry  students and four  Senior  Secondary Schools (two in urban and two in the rural ) were sampled. Two major instruments were used for data collection   (a) teacher made test which was  tagged  Animal husbandry performance Test(AHPT). AHPT  was  adapted from WACE past questions by the researcher to measure students performance before and after teaching as pretest(pre-AHPT) and post -test (post-AHPT) respectively. And (b) a questionnaire titled Animal Husbandry Interest Questionnaire (AHIQ)  and Animal Husbandry Attitude Questionnaire (AHAQ) . The AHPT, AHIQ and AHAQ were  subjected  to both content and face validity by experts. Eleven research questions were posed and answered and Eleven null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significant using mean, standard deviation and t-test statistics respectively. The statistical computation was done using Version 22 SPSS. The reliability coefficient of the AHIQ was found to be 0.795 and that of the AHAQ  stood at 0.729.  The findings revealed that there is significant difference in the mean academic performance  of SS2 Animal Husbandry  students exposed to problem-solving method and those exposed to lecture method. The study also revealed that no significant difference exist in the mean academic performance between male and female students exposed to problem-solving method and urban and rural students exposed to problem solving method. Finally, the study revealed significant relationship between problem-solving method and students' interest and attitude towards Animal Husbandry. It was concluded that teaching through Problem solving is more effective in producing improved academic results when compared to the lecture teaching method for secondary students taking Animal Husbandry subject. Therefore, the use of problem solving   in Edo State has resulted into higher academic performance, interest in and attitude towards   Animal Husbandry subject by the students. It was also concluded that the study established that location proved significant altogether in affecting students’ general performance with respect to the teaching methods used.(Problem- solving teaching method and Lecture teaching method) in senior Secondary schools in Edo State.  Based on the findings, it was recommended amongst others  that Animal Husbandry teachers should constantly use appropriate methods of teaching Animal Husbandry  that would encourage students to learn Animal Husbandry  effectively in  senior secondary schools and also that  Ministry of Education  should organise  workshops for retraining (retooling) teachers in problem solving  teaching method for effective teaching in Animal Husbandry to  improve students’ interest, attitude and academic performance in Animal Husbandry.