Creativity of secondary school students: entrepreneurial skills acquisition in the construction of potentiometer in physics

Abstract

The study adopted a quasi-experimental design using a pre-test, post-test control design in order to investigate the entrepreneurial skills and creative abilities of secondary school students in Physics. The study was carried out in Obio/Akpo Local Government Area of Rivers State of Nigeria, using purposive sampling technique. Sixty (60) SS2 Physics students were drawn from a population of six hundred (600) students. The instruments for the study are Creative Ability Test (CAT) and Entrepreneurial Skill Acquisition Test (ESAT). The ESAT was use for an on the spot assessment. The reliability coefficients of the instruments are 0.95 for CAT and 0.74 for ESAT, using Kuder- Richardson Formula (K-R-21) and Cronbach Alpha respectively. The students in different groups were taught using three teaching strategies namely Demonstration, Guided-Inquiry and Cooperative strategies on the entrepreneurial skills in construction of potentiometer. The students were assessed before and after treatment on acquisition and use of entrepreneurial skills (measurement, manipulative and finger dexterity skills) in the making of potentiometer. Three research questions and hypotheses guided the study. Data collated were analysed using mean and percentage to answer the research questions while Analysis of Co-variance (ANCOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses. Result shows that there is no significant difference in the interaction of the teaching strategies on the students of high, average and low creative abilities in their acquisition of entrepreneurial skills in the construction of potentiometer. However, the main effect of the teaching strategy is significant. Based on these findings it was recommended that Demonstration, Guided-inquiry and Cooperative innovative teaching strategies be used in instruction in Entrepreneurial skill acquisition such as the construction of potentiometer, in physics. Keywords: Guided-Discovery, Creative Abilities, Instructional Strategies, Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition