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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 Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved. © 2015 – 2017 Open Access Publishing Group 102 Ayodele, Mathew Olagoke, Fatoba, J. Oba EFFECTS OF SMALL-GROUP LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF BASIC SCIENCE STUDENTS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA 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. European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 103 Ayodele, Mathew Olagoke, Fatoba, J. Oba EFFECTS OF SMALL-GROUP LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF BASIC SCIENCE STUDENTS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA 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 European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 104 Ayodele, Mathew Olagoke, Fatoba, J. Oba EFFECTS OF SMALL-GROUP LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF BASIC SCIENCE STUDENTS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA 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 European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 105 Ayodele, Mathew Olagoke, Fatoba, J. Oba 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. European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 106 Ayodele, Mathew Olagoke, Fatoba, J. Oba EFFECTS OF SMALL-GROUP LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF BASIC SCIENCE STUDENTS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA 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 European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 107 Ayodele, Mathew Olagoke, Fatoba, J. Oba EFFECTS OF SMALL-GROUP LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF BASIC SCIENCE STUDENTS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA 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 European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 108 Ayodele, Mathew Olagoke, Fatoba, J. Oba EFFECTS OF SMALL-GROUP LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF BASIC SCIENCE STUDENTS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA 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. European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 109 Ayodele, Mathew Olagoke, Fatoba, J. Oba EFFECTS OF SMALL-GROUP LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF BASIC SCIENCE STUDENTS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA 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. European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 110 Ayodele, Mathew Olagoke, Fatoba, J. Oba EFFECTS OF SMALL-GROUP LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF BASIC SCIENCE STUDENTS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA 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) European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 111 Ayodele, Mathew Olagoke, Fatoba, J. Oba EFFECTS OF SMALL-GROUP LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF BASIC SCIENCE STUDENTS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA 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. European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 112 Ayodele, Mathew Olagoke, Fatoba, J. Oba EFFECTS OF SMALL-GROUP LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF BASIC SCIENCE STUDENTS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA 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 European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 113 Ayodele, Mathew Olagoke, Fatoba, J. Oba EFFECTS OF SMALL-GROUP LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF 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. References 1. American College Testing Program. (2007). ACT high School Profile Report: HS Graduating Class 2007. HS Graduating Class National Report, Iowa City: American College Testing Program 2. Anderson, W. L. (2005). Comparison of student performance in cooperative learning and traditional lecture-based biochemistry classes. 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Oba EFFECTS OF SMALL-GROUP LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF BASIC SCIENCE STUDENTS IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA 33. Tran, V. D (2014). The effects of cooperative learning on the academic achievement and knowledge retention. International Journal of Higher Education, 3, (2), 131-140. 34. Trans, V. D. and Lewis, R. . Effects of cooperative learning on students attitudes in a Vietnamese higher education classroom. International Journal of Higher Education, 1, 2, 1-13. 35. Udu, F.O.C and Somoye, E.O. (2008). Basic Science Book 2: An integrated science course for junior secondary schools. Longman Nigeria Plc, 45-46. 36. Vygotsky, L. S (1962). Thought and language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 117 Ayodele, Mathew Olagoke, Fatoba, J. 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