Merit: A debate

Louis Settembrini is the pseudonym of a former chairman of one of the social science departments at the University of Rochester.     

Effects of Enhanced Laboratory Instructional Technique on Senior Secondary Students' Attitude Toward Chemistry in Oyo Township,Oyo State,Nigeria

The study examined the effect of supplementing laboratory instruction with problem solving strategy and or practical skills teaching on students' attitude toward chemistry. A total of 286 senior secondary class II students (145 males and 141 females) drawn from four local government areas in Oyo township in Oyo state, Nigeria, took part in the study. A pretest–posttest nonrandomized control group in a quasi-experimental setting using a 4× 2× 2 factorial representation formed the design of the study. Data analysis was done by the use of analysis of covariance but Scheffe post hoc analysis was carried out in the case of significant main effect of the treatment and also in the occasion of significant interaction effect. Graphical illustrations were however used to further explain the interaction effects. The results revealed that the use of enhanced laboratory instructional strategy significantly improved the attitudes of students toward chemistry. The results underscore the need for secondary school chemistry teachers to adopt the use of enhanced laboratory instructional strategy in order to promote good attitude on the part of the students toward learning of chemistry.