Abstract:
Basic science lays the foundation for future science learning and career in sciencerelated disciplines. Reports have shown that pupils’ learning outcomes (Basic Science
Process Skills - BSPS; Basic Science Achievement - BSA and Attitude to Basic
Science - ABS) in primary schools in the Ibadan metropolis are poor, and these are
attributable to instructional methods adopted by the teachers. Previous studies have
established that primary school science teachers largely deployed direct instructions
more than pupil-centred strategies, such as Teacher-Pupils Project Collaboration
(TPPC) and Hands-on Activities (HoA) strategies. Therefore, this study was carried
out to determine the effects of TPPC and HoA strategies on pupils’ BSPS, BSA and
ABS in the Ibadan metropolis. It also examined the moderating effects of gender and
school type.
Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development and Lev Vygotsky’s Sociocultural theories
served as the framework, while the pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental
design with a 3x2x2 factorial matrix was adopted. Three Local Government Areas
(LGAs) were randomly selected from the Ibadan metropolis. One public and one
private school with qualified and professional science teachers were purposively
selected from each LGA. The schools were randomly assigned to TPPC (54), HoA
(58) and conventional (49) groups. The instruments were Basic Science Process Skills
Rating Scale (0.73), Basic Science Achievement Test (0.83), Questionnaire on Pupils’
Attitude to Basic Science (0.81) and instructional guides. The treatment lasted 11
weeks. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Analysis of covariance and
Scheffe’s Post-hoc test at 0.05 level of significance.
Majority of the participants were male (52.8%) and 52.2% were from private schools.
The treatment had a significant main effect on pupils’ BSPS (F(2;148) = 5.38; partial 2
= 0.07). The participants in TPPC had the highest mean score (9.63), followed by those
in control (8.45) and the HoA (8.36) groups. The treatment had a significant main
effect on pupils’ BSA (F(2;148) = 3.54; partial 2 = 0.05). The pupils in HoA had the
highest basic science achievement mean score (12.88), followed by those in TPPC
(12.46) and the control (11.09) groups. School type had a significant main effect on
pupils’ BSPS (F(1;148) = 39.65; partial 2 = 0.21). The participants from private schools
had a higher BSPS mean score (9.99) than those from public schools (7.63). School
type also had a significant main effect on pupils’ BSA (F(1;148) = 42.04; partial 2 =
0.22). The pupils from private schools had a higher BSA mean score (14.10) than
those from public schools (10.18). The treatment had no significant main effect on
pupils’ ABS. Gender had no significant main effect on pupils’ BSPS and BSA. The
two-way and three-way interaction effects were not significant. Teacher-pupil project
collaboration, more than hands-on activities instructional strategies, enhanced pupils’
basic science process skills, while hands-on activities enhanced basic science
achievement than teacher-pupil project collaboration among primary school pupils in
the Ibadan metropolis with particular attention to school type. Therefore, basic science
teachers should adopt both strategies.
