Effects of two puzzle-based instructional strategies on primary school pupils’ learning outcomes in social studies in Ondo State, Nigeria - Full Length Research Paper

Q: What problem does the study address in Nigerian primary Social Studies?

It addresses persistent poor achievement attributed to inadequate instructional resources and lecture-based methods that keep pupils passive.

Q: What instructional strategies are compared in the research?

The study compares Three Dimensional Puzzle-Based Strategy (TDPS) and Paper and Pencil Puzzle-Based Strategy (PPPS), alongside a control group using a modified conventional teaching method.

Q: How do gender and school location relate to pupils’ learning outcomes?

The study finds significant effects of school location on achievement, while gender shows no significant effect; the treatment-by-gender interaction is also not significant.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Stanford

Persistent low achievement in Nigerian primary Social Studies is linked to insufficient instructional resources and lecture-centered teaching that limits active pupil participation. Prior work rarely tests Three Dimensional Puzzle-Based Strategy and Paper and Pencil Puzzle-Based Strategy in Social Studies classrooms, particularly regarding both achievement and attitude. This quasi-experimental study evaluates TDPS and PPPS, and the moderating roles of gender and school location.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

INTRODUCTION

Background and importance of Social Studies

Conventional teaching challenges

Need for puzzle-based instructional strategies

Definitions and learning implications of puzzles

African Educational Research Journal Vol. 1(2), pp. 58-63, July 2013 Full Length Research Paper Effects of two puzzle-based instructional strategies on primary school pupils’ learning outcomes in social studies in Ondo State, Nigeria Adedoja Gloria1, Abidoye James A.2* and Afolabi A. K.3 1 Department of Teacher Education, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. 2 Department of Educational Technology, Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo State, Nigeria. 3 Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. Accepted 30 May, 2013 | ABSTRACT
The persistent poor achievement being recorded in Social Studies at the primary school level in Nigeria has been attributed to inadequate instructional resources and the use of lecture methods which do not promote active participation of pupils in the teaching-learning process. Most previous studies have not explored the use of Three Dimensional Puzzle-Based Strategy and Paper and Pencil Puzzle-Based Strategy especially in Social Studies classroom which encourage active pupils’ participation. This study therefore determined the effects of Three Dimensional Puzzle-Based Strategy (TDPS) and Paper and Pencil Puzzle-Based Strategy PPPS on pupils’ achievement and attitude towards Social Studies. It also determined the moderating effects of gender and school location on the dependent variables. The study adopted pretest-posttest, control group, quasi-experimental design, using a 3×2×2 factorial matrix. Two hundred and forty primary 4 pupils from six primary schools purposively selected from three Local Government Areas of Ondo State, participated in the study. Instruments used were: Social Studies Achievement Test (r = 0.82), Social Studies Attitude Questionnaire (r = 0.84), Instructional Guide on Three Dimensional Puzzle-Based Strategy, Instructional Guide on Paper and Pencil Puzzle-Based Strategy, and Instructional Guide on Modified Conventional Teaching Method. Four hypotheses were generated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data were analysed using Analysis of covariance and Scheffe’s post hoc test. Treatment had significant main effect on pupils’ post achievement score in Social Studies (F(2,227) = 112.203; p<0.05) . Pupils exposed to TDPS attained highest post achievement mean score ( = 13. 103) in social studies, followed by PPPS group ( = 8.841) and control group ( = 5.882) . Also, there was significant effect of school location on pupils’ achievement in Social Studies (F(1,227) = 222.203; p<0.05) . Pupils in urban schools had highest achievement mean score ( = 12.093) than their counterparts in rural schools ( = 6.452) . Similarly, gender has no significant effect on pupils’ achievement in Social Studies (F(1,227) = 1.571; p<0.05) . The two way interaction effect of treatment and gender on pupils achievement in Social Studies was not significant (F(2,227)= 81.793; p<0 .05) . The TDPS and PPPS were effective at improving pupils’ achievement and attitude in Social Studies. It is therefore recommended that TDPS and PPPS should be used by Social Studies teachers in order to facilitate active participation of pupils in the classroom and also improve their learning outcomes in the subject.
Keywords: Three-dimensional puzzle strategy, paper and pencil puzzle strategy, social studies, primary schools. | | --- | | *Corresponding [author. E-mail: Doye10@yahoo.com. Tel:](author. E-mail: Doye10@yahoo.com. Tel:) 08035733201. | INTRODUCTION Social studies as a school subject has occupied an important position in the school curriculum. The subject has been recognized as an effective tool for citizenship education in Nigeria. It is also a subject that equips the learners with critical thinking and problem solving skills which enable them to tackle problems and issues that Adedoja et al. 59 may arise in their socio economic life. According to Akinlaye et al. (1996), social studies in the school curriculum should help all types of students at all levels to dev

FAQs

What problem does the study address in Nigerian primary Social Studies?

It addresses persistent poor achievement attributed to inadequate instructional resources and lecture-based methods that keep pupils passive.

What instructional strategies are compared in the research?

The study compares Three Dimensional Puzzle-Based Strategy (TDPS) and Paper and Pencil Puzzle-Based Strategy (PPPS), alongside a control group using a modified conventional teaching method.

How do gender and school location relate to pupils’ learning outcomes?

The study finds significant effects of school location on achievement, while gender shows no significant effect; the treatment-by-gender interaction is also not significant.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Stanford