Effects Of Modelling Instructional Strategies on Social Studies and Interest on The Academic Performance of Students In Upper Basic Schools, Kogi State, Nigeria

This study examined the effects of modelling instructional strategies on Social Studies and interest on the academic performance of students in upper basic schools, Kogi State, Nigeria. Three research questions and two hypotheses were formulated to facilitate the study. The study employed a quasi–experimental research design involving the non-equivalent pretest, posttest, and control group design. The study population comprised 11,985 Social Studies students from 86 public upper basic schools in nine Local Government Areas of Kogi East. A sample of 114 upper basic class two Social Studies students in Dekina and Ofu Local Government Areas of Kogi State was used for the study. Data were collected using the Social Studies Achievement Test and Social Studies Interest Inventory. The instruments were validated by two experts in Social Studies and one from Measurement and Evaluation. Based on pilot testing, reliability indices of 0.80 and 0.82 were obtained through Cronbach’s Alpha and Kuder-Richardson (KR-20) methods for the Social Studies Achievement Test and Social Studies Interest Inventory. Means and standard deviations were used to answer the research questions. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses formulated at 0.05 alpha levels. The findings from this study revealed that there was a significant difference between the performances mean scores of students taught Social Studies using modelling and the performance mean scores of those taught using conventional instructional tools. Also, there was a significant difference between the interests mean scores of students taught Social Studies using models and scores of those taught using conventional instructional tools. There was no significant effect of gender on students’ performance and interest in Social Studies. Based on these findings, it was concluded that modelling was more effective in enhancing students’ achievement and interest in Social Studies than conventional instructional tools. Thus, the study recommended that the Kogi State Universal Basic Education Board should formulate policies that will mandate upper basic Social Studies teachers to use modelling instructional strategies to enhance students’ academic achievement and interest in Social Studies. Keywords: Modeling, Social Studies, interest, gender and students’ performance