Effect of Polya’s Problem-Solving Model on performance in Respiration Concept among Secondary School Students in Zamfara State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64348/zije.202567Keywords:
Polya’s Problem-Solving Model, Performance, BiologyAbstract
This study investigated the effect of Polya’s problem-solving model on performance in respiration concept among secondary school students in Zamfara state, Nigeria. Two (2) research questions with their corresponding null hypotheses guided the study which adopted the quasi-experimental of the pretest-posttest control group research design. The population was 72, 534 students in 189 public senior secondary schools in the state. Multi-stage sampling was used in selecting 387 SS2 students during the 2024/2025 academic session as the sample using four (4) intact classes. Cellular Respiration Performance Test (CRPT) was the instrument used for data collection. Test-retest was adopted in determining the reliability of the instrument using the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation (PPMC) statistics which yielded a coefficient (r) of 0.82. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics (Mean and Standard Deviation) and inferential statistics (One-Way Analysis of Covariance) at p ≤ .05 significant level. The findings revealed that: the mean academic performance scores of the experimental group was significantly greater than that of the control group. Also, there were no statistically significant gender differences in the mean academic performance scores of the male and female students when taught cellular respiration using the Polya’s Problem-Solving Model (PPSM). Hence, it was recommended that teachers should be encouraged to adopt the PPSM through re-trainings, seminars and workshops. Also, curriculum planners and policy makers should incorporate the PPSM in curriculum designs and policies so that it could widely be used at all levels of education.
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