Science Teachers’ Utilisation of Innovative Strategies for Teaching Senior School Science in Ilorin, Nigeria

Abstract

Efforts have been made to improve science teaching in secondary schools in Nigeria, yet, students continue to perform poorly in science subjects. Many innovative teaching strategies have been developed by educators and found to impact significantly on students’ academic performance when utilised. Hence, this study was aimed at examining science teachers’ utilisation of innovative teaching strategies in teaching senior school science subjects in Ilorin, Nigeria. A sample of two hundred and fifty six (256) science teachers were selected from secondary schools in Ilorin East, South and West Local Government Areas using stratified random sampling technique. Data was obtained using a researcher-designed questionnaire known as the Innovative Teaching Strategies Questionnaire (ITSQ) which has a reliability index of 0.91 Cronbach alpha. Results showed that out of the thirty six (36) selected innovative teaching strategies, most science teachers frequently used only two (2), while the rest were rarely used. The results also showed no significant difference in science teachers’ level of utilisation of the innovative teaching strategies based on experience and qualifications. It was recommended among others that science teachers avail themselves of the opportunities provided by these innovative strategies in improving the performance of their students.