Evaluating Multiple Teaching Methods in High-school Geography: A Mixed-methods Case Study from Goa, India

Abstract

Aims: This study investigates the relative effectiveness of Multiple Methods of Teaching (MMT), compared with traditional lecture-based instruction, in improving student performance and conceptual understanding in high-school geography in Goa, India. Study Design: A mixed-methods, pre-intervention–post-intervention quasi-experimental design. Place and Duration of Study: Government high schools, North and South Districts of Goa, India, during the academic year 2021–22. Methodology: Through stratified random sampling, 303 students (Grades VIII–X) and 14 geography teachers were recruited, and data were collected using pre-validated questionnaires, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the chi-square test, while qualitative responses were coded thematically. Results: Phase I (lecture-only) yielded a mean score of 44.56 (SD = 23.77). Phase II (MMT: demonstration, observation, project-based, and laboratory methods) increased the mean to 51.69 (SD = 23.55). The reported chi-square test (χ² = 3.3, df = 6, P > .05) did not indicate a statistically significant relationship between instructional diversity and student achievement. Qualitative findings corroborated a marked preference among both teachers and students for participatory, observation-based, and field-centred pedagogies over conventional chalk-and-talk delivery. Conclusion: The use of multiple, student-centred pedagogical approaches was associated with improved learning outcomes in secondary-level geography. The findings have implications for curriculum design, teacher professional development, and education policy in Goa and comparable Indian school contexts, although the statistical evidence should be interpreted cautiously.