Exploring Effects of Science-Technology-Society Instructional Approach as an Innovation in Improving Learners’ Interest in Chemistry

Abstract

ABSTRACT---Continuous dwindling in learners’ interest in chemistry is a threat to global development. The abstract nature of chemistry and other factors are capable of damping the interest of the learner during instruction which can mar the realization aims and objectives of chemistry instruction. The learning environment is shaped by the instructional approaches adopted by the teacher. Thus, the use of innovative instructional approach capable of making the learning experiences relevant to the learner, build and sustain the interest in the learner during chemistry instruction becomes very imperative. This study investigated Science-technology-society (STS) instructional approach as an innovation in improving learners’ interest in chemistry. The study was conducted using senior secondary school 2 chemistry learners in Onitsha Education zone of Anambra state, South-East of Nigeria. The study adopted quasi experimental design of the pretest posttest non equivalent control group design. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. Three hundred and ten students from purposively sampled twelve coeducational public secondary schools were used for the study. Six schools were randomly assigned to the treatment group while the remaining six assigned to the control group. The treatment group was taught electrolysis using Science-technologysociety instructional approach while the control group was taught the electrolysis using the conventional instructional approach. Validated Chemistry Interest Inventory (CII) was used to collect data for the study. The CII had reliability index of 0.93. The mean score and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while analysis of variance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of confidence. The study revealed among other things that there was significant difference in the interest mean scores of learners taught chemistry using Science-technologysociety instructional approach and those taught chemistry using conventional instructional approach. From the findings of the study, the following recommendations among others were made: Chemistry teachers should adopt STS instructional approach in teaching and learning chemistry and use of STS instructional approach should included in chemistry teacher education programme.