Effect of Academic Ability and Group Instruction Technique on Secondary School Students’ Achievement in Civic Education in Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

Students’ learning outcomes and performance are dependent on many factors from student-factors to teacher-factors, method of instruction, environmental and management factors. Given the falling standard in education in Nigeria, managing students’ factors are becoming more crucial success factor in academic performance and achievement in subjects. Against this backdrop, this study investigated the effect of academic ability and group instruction technique on secondary school students’ achievement in Civic education in Anambra State, Nigeria. In the method section, non-randomized control group, pre-test, post-test quasi experimental design was adopted as the design for the study. Six co-education schools in Anambra State were sampled using multi-stage sampling technique. From the area of study, 193 Senior Secondary 2 students as participants were drawn from one co-education school in each of the six education zones that make up 258 public secondary schools in the State. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used as statistical tool for analyzing experimental data obtained from the field. Findings indicated that there were significant differences in Civic achievement test across high and low academic ability groups and experimental and control groups. The experimental group (taught with Group Instruction Technique) achieved better than the control group (taught with Lecture Method), while high ability students outperformed low ability students. The observed significant differences across groups indicate that student factors and teacher-factors have learning and achievement outcomes on Civic education in Nigeria. It is recommended that, stakeholders especially, secondary school principals and teachers evaluate students’ academic challenges and proffer ways to improve achievement.