European Journal of Social Sciences Studies
ISSN: 2501-8590
ISSN-L: 2501-8590
Available on-line at: www.oapub.org/soc
Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.400745
EFFECTS OF SMALL-GROUP LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON
ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF BASIC SCIENCE STUDENTS
IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA
Ayodele, Mathew Olagokei, Fatoba, J. Oba
Dr., Department of Science Education, Faculty of Education,
Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria
Abstract:
The study assessed the effect of small-group learning instruction on attitudes and
performance of Basic Science students in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The study adopted a
quasi-experimental of pre-test, post-test research design and was carried out on 180 JSS
2 students selected from six secondary schools using purposive sampling techniques.
The two instruments used for the study included: Basic Science Performance Test
BSPT and Students Attitudinal Scale SAS . Five hypotheses were generated for the
study and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that
small-group learning instruction had significant and positive effects on students'
attitudes and performance in Basic Science. The findings also indicated that gender had
no significant effect on attitude of students taught using small-group learning
instruction. Based on the academic success recorded by the small group learning
classrooms, it was suggested that small-group learning instruction which is more
student-centered and having potential of enhancing students attitudes toward Basic
Science should be adopted as a teaching strategy in schools.
Keywords: small-group learning instruction, students performance, attitude, junior
secondary school students and basic science
1. Introduction
Reforms in Nigerian educational systems had called for the various practices that will
support science education programmes and encourage students participation in the
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classroom. The reforms has encouraged teachers at all level of education to be
conversant with the nature of scientific investigations that will allow students to
actively participate in the process of teaching and learning based on their experience
and knowledge. In recent years, constructivist learning approach rooted in Piaget idea
has emphasized the use of students-centered approach to the teaching of science, built
upon prior experiences (Bruner, 1961). The Constructivism holds that each learner
actively constructs and reconstructs his or her understanding rather than receiving it
from a more authoritative sources. Lev Vygotsky (1962) also proposed that the
interactions that students have with their peers influences the learning processes. The
theory recognizes that learning occurs and cannot be separated from a social context
that promote the distribution of expert knowledge where students collaborate to
conduct research, share their results and produce a final project. In essence, teachers can
only create a learning environment that maximizes the learners ability to interact with
each other through small-group discussion, teamwork, small-group collaboration and
feedback.
Small group learning is a form of cooperative or collaborative approach to
teaching in which students are arranged in a group of 6-8 learners in the classroom,
typically assisted by a teacher. The term small group according to Killen (2007) can be
applied to a group of two, but the learning value is maximized if the group is
comprised of around eight. The approach has become more common in inspiring
students to participate actively in the classroom and cater for knowledge construction
processes. A growing body of research has shown that there are various forms of smallgroup learning methods that are commonly used in the classrooms. These include
cooperative learning (Johnson and Johnson, 2009); collaborative learning (Kramarski
and Mevarech, 2003)); and inquiry-based learning (National Research Council, 2001)
among others. Thayer-Bacon, one of the proponents of collaborative or cooperative
learning emphasized the importance of students
relationships with others in
developing critical thinking skills (Thayer-Bacon, 2000). Similarly, Kramarski and
Mevarech (2003) attribute the superior performance of students working in
collaborative group settings to the higher quality of discourse observed among students
working together. From an innovative point of view, small-group teaching techniques
change the pace of the classroom, allow students to accomplish the group s goals,
improve students cognitive outcomes and increase students involvement Johnson and
Johnson, 2008; Tran and Lewis, 2012).
In small groups, students can share meaningful ideas and develop social and
intellectual skills. When small groups are properly guided by a clear and well defined
purposes, based on various activities, significant improvement in learning may occur.
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As McCrorie (2006) notes, well-designed small group teaching has clear benefits for
student learning in terms of retention of information, critical thinking and consolidation
of learning from different parts of a programme. McCrorie further noticed that smallgroup learning enable learners to take part in discussion, consolidate learning, clarify
understanding, and explore ideas and concepts. However, research suggests that
cooperative and collaborative learning bring positive results such as deeper
understanding of content, increased overall achievement in grades, improved selfesteem, and higher motivation to remain on task (Thayer-Bacon, 2000). According to
Bradford, Brown and Cocking, (2000), cooperative learning helps students become
actively and constructively involved in content, to take ownership of their own
learning, and to resolve group conflicts and improve teamwork skills. Barron and
Darling-Hammond (2008) also assert that discipline-based approaches to inquiry
learning, if designed well, support students in deep learning. In general, there are
significant learning benefits for students who work together on a small group learning
activities.
Some studies have reported the effects of different forms of small-group
learning. For example, Beck and Chizhik (2008) compared the effects of cooperative
learning and other teaching methods on
tertiary students performance in a
computer science course in America over a period of one year, and found that the
cooperative learning group achieved significantly higher than the conventional lecture
teaching group. In another study conducted by Tran (2014) on the effects of cooperative
learning on the academic achievement and knowledge retention of First-Year primary
education students towards Psychology subject over a period of eight weeks of
instruction, it was found that students who were instructed using cooperative learning
achieved significantly higher than did students who were instructed using lecturebased teaching. Davis (2009) noted that students who engaged in small group activities,
inside or outside of the classroom, achieve a deeper understanding of the material and
demonstrate better retention than students who do not participate in such activities.
Students working together has been associated with positive learning outcomes.
For example, the study conducted by Shibley and Simmaro (2002) on the effect of
collaborative learning on students attitudes and performance in an introductory
chemistry laboratory showed that students seemed to develop a more positive attitude
about the laboratory and about chemistry in the collaborative learning group as judged
from their classroom evaluations of the teacher. The study further recommends that the
use of collaborative learning provides a means of improving students attitude toward
chemistry. In effects, students working in a collaborative learning environment achieve
better in their subject areas. Also in a comparative study conducted by Kipnis and
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Hofstein (2005), two groups of high-school chemistry students were compared. The first
group conducted inquiry-type experiments whereas the second group performed more
conventional, confirmation-type activities. The students in the inquiry group developed
more positive attitude towards learning chemistry than did those students who had
experienced a more conventional chemistry program. In another study, Anderson
(2005) made a comparison between cooperative learning and traditional lecture-based
biochemistry curriculum on 420 junior and senior college students. The study revealed
that students in the cooperative learning environment scored higher than their peers in
standardized testing of the curriculum and were more positive about their learning
experience.
Senemoglu (2004) defined attitude as an internal situation that is acquired and
has an effect on the selection of behavior. These behavior could be triggered in students
by many factors such as the perception of the science teacher; anxiety toward science;
the value of science; self-esteem at science; motivation towards science; enjoyment of
science; attitudes towards science; attitudes of parents towards science; the nature of the
classroom environment; achievement in science among others (Osborne, Simon and
Collins, 2003). Developing positive attitude towards science is one of the key goals for
teaching and learning science and science-related subjects in schools. Research on
students attitudes towards learning science has shown that there are decline in
students attitudes toward science in general and science learning in particular, and the
decline in enrollment in science-based careers (Osborne, Simon, and Collins, 2003).
Lindal
showed that the most effective factor contributing to students decisions
to study science is their interest in the subject. If students are not interested in science,
they tend not to learn and understand the concepts that are being taught to them.
Fairbrother (2000) claimed that pupils learn only if they want to learn. This claim might
occurred especially when the right approach are used to teach the subject. Gilbert (2006)
identified failure to present a holistic approach to the teaching of chemistry as a major
reason for the decline in interest in chemistry and in addition to inadequate emphasis
regarding selection and depth of topics taught especially for those who are not going to
embark on a career in chemistry or chemistry-related sciences.
Students attitude towards science influences their efforts in understanding
scientific concepts and skills. Research on attitudes indicated that students who have
negative attitude towards education activities are found to exhibit challenging behavior
including anti-social and off-task behavior (Awang, Jindal-Snape and Barber, 2013). It is
assumed that students who are interested in science and understand the scientific
concepts, will have more positive attitude towards science and science studies
compared to those who have learning difficulties in the science disciplines. The studies
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EFFECTS OF SMALL-GROUP LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF
BASIC SCIENCE STUDENTS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA
of Rana (2002) and Ayodele (2016) revealed a positive relationship between
achievement in science and attitude towards science, whereas the study of Osborne and
Dillon (2008) revealed no clear (or negative) relationship between attitudes towards
learning science and achievement.
In recent years, gender issues have received an increased attention nationwide.
Empirical evidence indicated that generally female educational attainment has
surpassed male attainment in many industrialized countries (Pekkarinen, 2012); boys
continue to outperform girls in mathematics in most countries (Bedard and Cho, 2010).
However, Hazari, Tai and Saddler (2007) attributed differences in science achievement
at the K-12 to fewer females attaining degrees in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics fields. Further examination of gender differences among students revealed
that males outperform significantly than females in science, scoring higher in three of
the four sciences content domain: biology, physics and earth science, but there was no
measurable difference detected in the average science scores of U. S. eighth-grade males
and females in the chemistry domain (American College Testing Program, 2007).
Several studies have also linked students attitude toward science and gender.
For example, Breakwell and Robertson (2001) conducted a longitudinal study to
examine the change in attitude towards science over a period of ten years in students
between ages 11 to 14 years. The results indicated that boys had more positive attitude
and better performance in science compared to girls. Also a comprehensive research
conducted in Australia by Barnes, et al (2005) showed that the attitudes of boys towards
chemistry was more positive than their girls counterparts. Contrary to these reports,
Cokadar and Kulce (2008) did not offer any support for the effect of gender on attitude
towards science.
Inability to apply the best practices in the classroom setting among the teachers
has led to mass failure among the students in the science courses. Nevertheless, for
improvement in the science courses among the students, small-group teaching has been
recommended in many part of the world for science teachers to use. This type of
learning is used to teach a specific concept, fact or skill in and outside the classroom. In
order to add to the existing literature on the efficacy of this learning method in science
classroom, the present study examined the effect of small-group learning instruction
among Basic Science Students in Ekiti State, Nigeria.
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EFFECTS OF SMALL-GROUP LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF
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2. Research Hypotheses
1. There is no significant difference between the performance of students taught
using small-group learning instruction and those taught using conventional
learning instruction.
2. There is no significant effect of gender on attitude of students taught using smallgroup learning instruction.
3. There is no significant difference between the attitude of students taught using
small-group learning instruction and those taught using conventional learning
instruction.
4. There is no significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on attitude of
students in basic science.
5. There is no significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on performance
of students in basic science.
3. Materials and Methods
The study adopted a quasi-experimental of pre-test, post-test research design.
3.1 Population
The population for the study consisted of all the 21,516 junior secondary school 2
students in Ekiti State, Nigeria.
3.2 Sample and Sampling Techniques
The sample for study comprised 180 junior secondary school 2 students in Ekiti State
capital, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, in the 2015-2016 academic session using a purposive
sampling technique. The study is purposive in the sense that it only involved those
schools that showed readiness and interest in the study. Intact classes were used in all
the 6 schools selected for the study to avoid unnecessary interruption of the normal
class settings. In all, a total of 180 students were used for the study.
3.3 Research Instruments
The instruments used for this study include: Self-developed Basic Science Performance
Test BSAT and Students Attitudinal Scale (SAS) that was adapted from the work of
Moore and Foy (1996). The Basic Science Performance Test consisted of 25 multiple
questions with four options drawn by the researcher from the recommended Basic
Science Text materials used for the students. The Students Attitudinal Scale SAS also
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EFFECTS OF SMALL-GROUP LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF
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consisted of
items aimed at measuring students attitude toward science. The SAS
was a four-point Likert scale of strongly agree = 4, agree = 3, disagree = 2, and strongly
disagree = 1.
3.4 Validity of the Instruments
The content and face validity of the instruments were ascertained by experts in the
fields of Science Education and Test Evaluation for proper scrutiny. The comments of
these experts were strictly followed to produce the final instruments used for the study.
3.5 Reliability of the Instruments
In order to ensure the reliability coefficients of the two instruments, the researcher
carried out a pilot test on 30 non-participating students from the schools outside the
State Capital. The tests were employed once and the scores from the single
administration of the tests were subjected to split-half reliability estimate and the results
obtain yielded
.
and
.
for Basic Science Performance Test and Students
Attitudinal Scale respectively. These values were considered reliable and high enough
for the study.
3.6 Experimental Procedures
The sample for the study was divided into experimental and control groups
respectively. The Small-group-based instructional technique was applied to the
experimental group while the control group was exposed to conventional instructional
technique. The duration of instruction was five weeks. Students in both groups were
pre-tested using the BSPT before the treatment was applied. The essence of the pre-test
was to ensure that the two groups are homogeneous in all respect. Topic related to You
and Your Environment was selected from Basic Science Book 2: An integrated science
course for junior secondary schools, written by Ndu, F.O.C and Somoye, E. O. (2008).
Instructional package was designed for the teachers and students in the experimental
group which contained series of activities to be demonstrated in the classroom.
Students in this group studied in small groups of 5-9 students and were allowed to
form their own groups with directive from the teachers. The researcher and the basic
science teachers act as facilitators by setting up activities to be accomplished in the
classroom for the students. The activities include the following: questions from the
students, listening and responding to students comments and questions, sometimes
explaining and summarizing etc. The teachers define a time limit for all the activities of
the group and at the end of the time limit, students were brought back together to share
their experience while teachers provide a feedback to each group as they share their
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findings. The students in this group were encouraged to participate actively in all the
class work. Students in the control group were not engaged in this series of activities
but were only taught the same topic as it used to be in the normal classroom setting.
The duration of the lesson/experiment was 40 minutes on each day of the experiment.
At the end of the fifth week, a post test was conducted for the two groups using the
same BSPT used as the pre-test. Students scripts were collected, marked and their
scores were recorded. The data collected were subjected to analysis of covariance and
the hypotheses formulated were tested at 0.05 Alpha level.
4. Results
4.1 Hypothesis 1
There is no significant difference between the performance of students taught using
small-group learning instruction and those taught using conventional learning
instruction.
Table 1: ANCOVA showing the performance of students taught using small-group
and conventional learning instructions
Source
SS
Df
MS
F
P
3470.062
2
1735.031
247.564
.000
46.590
1
46.590
6.648
.011
Group
3468.084
1
3468.084
494.846
.000
Error
1240.488
177
7.008
Corrected Total
4710.550
179
43695.000
180
Corrected Model
Pretest Achievement
Total
*p<0.05
Table 1 above reveals that there is significant difference between the performance of
students taught using small-group learning instruction and those taught using
conventional learning instruction. (F1,
177
= 494.846; p<0.05). The null hypothesis is
rejected. This implies that there is significant difference between the performance of
students taught using small-group learning instruction and those taught using
conventional learning instruction.
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Table 2: Multiple Classification Analysis (MCA) showing the effect of small group learning
instruction on students performance in Basic Science
Grand Mean =14.72
Variable +
N
Unadjusted
Eta
Adjusted for Independent
Devn’
Category
Small-group
90
4.36
Conventional
90
-4.36
Beta
+ Covariate
4.36
.74
.02
-4.37
Multiple R
.020
Multiple R2
.000
The result in Table 2 reveals that students exposed to small-group learning instruction
had higher adjusted mean score of 19.08 (14.72 + 4.36) in Basic Science than those
taught using conventional method; 10.37 (14.74 + (-4.37). It implies that the use of smallgroup learning instruction is effective at enhancing students performance in Basic. The
treatment accounted for about 74% (Eta2 =
.
of the total variance in students
performance in Basic Science.
4.2 Hypothesis 2
There is no significant effect of gender on attitude of students taught using small-group
learning instruction.
Table 3: ANCOVA showing the attitude of students in small-group learning instruction
by gender
Source
SS
df
MS
F
p
2.239
2
1.119
.193
.825
.361
1
.361
.062
.803
2.156
1
2.156
.372
.544
Error
504.217
87
5.796
Corrected Total
506.456
89
33263.000
90
Corrected Model
Pretest Achievement
Sex
Total
p>0.05
Table 3 above shows that there is no significant effect of gender on attitude of students
taught using small-group learning instruction. (F1, 87 = 0.372; p>0.05). The null hypothesis
is not rejected. This implies that there is no significant effect of gender on attitude of
students taught using small-group learning instruction.
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4.3 Hypothesis 3
There is no significant difference between the attitude of students taught using smallgroup learning instruction and those taught using conventional learning instruction.
Table 4: ANCOVA showing the attitude of students taught using small-group learning
instruction and those taught using conventional learning instruction
Source
SS
Df
MS
F
p
13443.689
2
6721.844
127.004
.000
165.267
1
165.267
3.123
.079
Group
13443.182
1
13443.182
253.998
.000
Error
9367.956
177
52.926
22811.644
179
610828.000
180
Corrected Model
Covariate (Pretest)
Corrected Total
Total
p<0.05
*
Table 4 above shows that there is significant difference between the attitude of students
taught using small-group learning instruction and those taught using conventional
learning instruction. (F1,
177
= 253.998; p<0.05). The null hypothesis is rejected. This
implies that there is significant difference between the attitude of students taught using
small-group learning instruction and those taught using conventional learning
instruction.
Table 5: Multiple Classification Analysis (MCA) showing the effect of small group learning
instruction on students attitude towards Basic Science
Grand Mean =57.16
Variable +
N
Unadjusted
Eta
Devn’
Category
Small-group
90
8.58
Conventional
90
-8.59
Adjusted for Independent
Beta
+ Covariate
.59
8.85
-8.62
.01
Multiple R
.005
Multiple R2
.000
Cursory look at Table 5 shows that students exposed to small-group learning
instruction had higher adjusted mean score of 66.01 (57.16+8.85) on attitude towards
Basic Science compared with their counterparts in the conventional learning group;
48.54 (57.16 + (-8.62). It implies that the use of small-group learning instruction is
effective at influencing students attitude towards Basic Science. About 59% (Eta2=0.59)
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of the total variance in students attitude towards Basic Science is explained by the
treatment.
4.4 Hypothesis 4
There is no significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on attitude of students
in Basic Science.
Table 6:
X ANCOVA summary of students attitude towards Basic Science
by gender and treatment
Source
SS
Df
MS
F
p
13455.043
4
3363.761
62.914
.000
171.532
1
171.532
3.208
.075
13449.473
1
13449.473
251.550
.000
Sex
8.445
1
8.445
.158
.692
Group * Sex
2.825
1
2.825
.053
.818
9356.602
175
53.466
22811.644
179
610828.000
180
Corrected Model
Covariate (Pretest)
Group
Error
Corrected Total
Total
p>0.05
Table 6 above shows that there is significant interaction effect of treatment and gender
on attitude of students in Basic Science. (F1, 175 = 0.053; p>0.05). The null hypothesis is not
rejected. This implies that there is significant interaction effect of treatment and gender
on attitude of students in Basic Science.
4.5 Hypothesis 5
There is no significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on performance of
students in Basic Science.
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Table 7: 2X2 ANCOVA showing performance of students in Basic Science by
gender and treatment
Source
SS
Df
MS
F
p
3488.686
4
872.171
124.916
.000
39.825
1
39.825
5.704
.018
3462.624
1
3462.624
495.930
.000
11.157
1
11.157
1.598
.208
7.350
1
7.350
1.053
.306
Error
1221.864
175
6.982
Corrected Total
4710.550
179
43695.000
180
Corrected Model
Pretest Achievement
Group
Sex
Group * Sex
Total
p>0.05
Table 7 reveals that there is significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on
performance of students in Basic Science. (F1, 175 = 0.053; p>0.05). The null hypothesis is
not rejected. This implies that there is significant interaction effect of treatment and
gender on performance of students in Basic Science.
5. Discussion
The results of this study reveal that small-group learning instruction had significant
effects on performance of students in Basic Science. The higher adjusted mean score of
small-group learning instruction over the conventional group implies that the use of
small-group learning instruction is effective at enhancing students performance in
Basic Science. This finding is in support of Anderson (2005) who found that students in
the cooperative learning instruction scored higher than their peers in standardized
testing of the curriculum and were more positive about their learning experience.
Analysis of the results further shows that there is no significant effect of gender on
attitude of students taught using small-group learning instruction. By implication, the
attitude of both boys and girls did not differ significantly. This finding is in agreements
with the findings of Cokadar and Kulce (2008) whose study did not offer any support
for the effect of gender on attitude towards science. The finding showed a divergent
view with the findings of Breakwell and Robertson (2001) whose study revealed that
boys had more positive attitude and better performance in science compared to girls.
Results of the study also indicates that there is significant difference between the
attitude of students taught using small-group learning instruction and those taught
using conventional learning instruction. This result is not surprising, because of the
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Ayodele, Mathew Olagoke, Fatoba, J. Oba
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BASIC SCIENCE STUDENTS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA
higher adjusted mean score of the small-group learning on attitude towards Basic
Science compared with their counterparts in the conventional learning group is an
indicator that those in the small-group learning had positive attitude towards Basic
Science. The finding is in accord with the findings of Kipnis and Hofstein, (2005) whose
study on two groups of high-school chemistry students show that inquiry group had
more positive attitudes towards learning chemistry than did those students in the
conventional chemistry program. The result also lend credence to the findings of
Shibley and Simmaro (2002) whose study found that students seemed to develop a
more positive attitude about the laboratory and about chemistry in the collaborative
learning group as judged from their classroom evaluations of the teacher. Interestingly,
the results reveal that there is significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on
attitude and performance of students in Basic Science. These results suggest that
application of small-group learning had significant and positive effects on students'
attitudes and performance in Basic Science.
5. Conclusion and Recommendation
In this paper, an attempt was made to assess the effect of small group learning
instruction on attitudes and performance of Basic Science students in Ekiti State,
Nigeria. The study indicated that the morale of the students was increased in the course
of learning collaboratively. This was revealed in their positive attitudes and
improvement in their test scores. Based on the findings of this study, it was suggested
that small-group learning instruction which is more student-centered and having
potential of enhancing students attitudes toward Basic Science should be adopted as a
teaching strategy in schools.
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