Effect of Metacognitive Scaffolding Teaching Strategy on Secondary School Physics Students’ Achievement and Attitude to Thermal Energy

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy on secondary school physics students’ achievement and attitude to thermal energy in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria. The study asked two research questions and postulated two null hypotheses which were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Quasi experimental research design involving non randomized control pretest-posttest design was utilized. The study population consisted of 2,699 Senior Secondary II (SSII) physics students from 54 public SSII physics students in FCT, Abuja. Multistage random sampling technique was used to select two intact classes having 75 SSII physics students from two SS as sample for the study. Two instruments consisting of Thermal Energy Achievement Test (TEAT) and Attitude to Thermal Energy Questionnaire (ATEQ) were used for data collection. The data collected from these instruments were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the null hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Findings from the analyzed data showed that physics students taught using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy performed better than those physics students taught using conventional teaching method. Also, physics students taught using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy had better attitude towards thermal energy than their counterparts in the control group. Based on these findings, it was recommended among others that physics teachers should be encouraged to teach using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy. Government and educational agencies, curriculum planners and developers should encourage the training of physics teachers on metacognitive scaffolding teaching during seminars, workshops and conferences.