Gender Difference in Cooperative Learning in Secondary School Students’ Academic Achievement in Physics

This study investigates the effect of cooperative learning strategy on the academic performance of students, and to find out if there is any difference in gender, in the students’ performance. A pre – test – post – test control group design was adopted for this study. A random sampling was used and four (4) secondary schools (comprising of one girl’s school and one boy’s school) were selected from Azare metropolis, in Bauchi state. All the students offering physics within the selected secondary schools constituted the population of the study, and a total of one hundred sixty (160) students constituted the sample of the study. Instrument for data collection were pre – test Physics Achievement Test and post – test Physics Achievement Test. The questions used for the pre – test and post – test was selected from the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) past questions papers which have been tested for validity and reliability and were proved to be standard. A t – test Statistical tool was used to analyze the data collected at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study suggested that; Cooperative learning strategy is more effective in the teaching and learning of physics, because it increased social interaction between students, thereby made the topic easier for them to understand. Based on the findings and conclusions of this study, recommendations were made for the enhancement of students’ (especially females) achievement in secondary school physics, such as inculcating cooperative learning strategy into school curriculum; adaptation of cooperative learning strategy by both the teachers and students for effective teaching, learning and understanding of physics.