Effects of a Targer-Task Problem Solving Model on Senior Secondary School Students Performance in Physics.

Abstract

This study investigate the Effects of a Target-Task Problem-Solving Model on Senior Secondary School Students’ Performance in Physics In this study, quasi-experimental design was used. The target population for the study comprises 8 Government Senior Secondary School two (SSII) Physics Students in Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT Abuja The sample of the study comprised of 166 student, 87 males and 79 females. Physics Achievement Test on Motion and Force (PAMF) of 24 items was used for trial testing, data collected was analyzed using Cronbach Alpha to obtain 0.97reliability coefficient after validation. The experimental group was exposed to the Target-Task Problem-Solving Model while lecture method was used for the control group. The experimental and control groups were pre-tested in the first week of the research after which the treatment was applied and post-testing took place in the sixth week using physics achievement test on motion and force (PAMF). The data collected were analysed using mean, standard deviation and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to test the research questions and hypotheses raised at an alpha level of 0.05. The study revealed that the Target-Task Problem-Solving Model enhanced performance of students creativity in problem solving and observational skill. On the basis of findings, it is strongly recommended that physics instructors should use explicit problem solving instruction in their lessons to develop students’ problem solving performance and the related outcomes such as course achievement and Government should transform the textbooks of physics into problem based learning form because the traditional textbooks do not meet the criteria of problem solving approach. And further suggested that more research should be considered to investigate the effect of TargetTask Problem Solving Model in other Physics concepts to verify this result on observational skills of students which has not so common in the existing literature in order to strengthen this result