EFFECT OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING STRATEGY ON SENIOR SECONDARY STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENT AND INTEREST IN CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM IN ANKPA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KOGI STATE, NIGERIA

The study examined the effect of problem-based learning strategy on students' academic achievement and interest in chemical equilibrium. The study was quasi-experimental research which specifically used the pretest, posttest non equivalent control group design. The target population of the study was 2, 996 (1210 males and 1786 females) Senior Secondary Schools II chemistry students for 2021/2022 academic session in all 57 secondary schools in Ankpa LGA of Kogi State. A sample of 62 (35 males and 27 females) SS II students from two secondary schools purposively taken in the study area. Four research questions and four hypotheses guided the study. Chemical Equilibrium Achievement Test (CEAT) and Chemical Equilibrium Interest Scale (CEIS) were instruments used for data collection. The instruments were validated by experts and pilot tested. A reliability coefficient of 0.85 was obtained for CEAT using Kuder Richardson's K-21 and 0.72 for CEIS using Cronbach Alpha. Descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the research hypotheses at 0.05 alpha level of significance. Findings of the study revealed that problem-based learning strategy significantly enhanced students' achievement and interest scores in chemistry more than the conventional teaching method. Also, gender and interest have no influence on the academic achievement of students exposed to problem-based learning strategy. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that chemistry teachers should be encouraged to adopt problem-based learning strategy in teaching chemistry concepts during their instructional practices.