A Comparative Study of Chemistry Students' Performance in Chemical Kinetics Using Higher Order Thinking Laboratory and Inquiry Approaches

Abstract

This study examined the impact of Higher Order Thinking Laboratory Strategy (HOTLS) and Inquiry Strategy (IS) in Senior Secondary School Students’ Academic Performance in Chemical Kinetics in Makurdi metropolis of Benue State, Nigeria. Three research questions guided the study while three hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study employed non-randomized pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design. The population comprised 2,145 Senior Secondary Two students offering Chemistry while 136 students were drawn as sample. Chemical Kinetics Performance Test was adapted for this study. Research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the null hypotheses were tested with Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The findings of the study revealed that students taught Chemical Kinetics with HOTLS differed significantly in their mean performance scores when compared with those taught using Inquiry Strategy while there is no significant difference in the mean performance scores of male and female students taught with HOTLS. However, there is significant difference in the mean performance scores of male and female students taught with Inquiry strategy. The study has contributed a pedagogical approach that stimulates students’ engagement in learning science by doing using hand-on-minds- on activities that equips them with practical skills, problem-solving ability, and overall academic performance and gender friendliness in Chemistry.  We recommend that Chemistry teachers should use HOTLS to teach Chemistry to improve academic performance of students.