Effectiveness of Collaborative Learning Strategy on Undergraduate Science Education Students’ Achievement in Laboratory Organization and Management in Nigerian Universities

Abstract

Laboratory organization and management are common practical aspect of science education. It is a sine qua non in teaching science but it seemed that science education undergraduate students were not exposed to this practical aspect of science. Hence, this study tried to investigate the effectiveness of collaborative learning strategy on science education undergraduate students' achievements in laboratory organization and management in Nigerian universities. Two research questions were posed and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. A quasi-experiment of the non-equivalent control group design was used in the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select only Federal Government owned universities from the Southeast that had been accredited and admitted undergraduate students into science education department of faculty of education for at least five years. Science education departments of faculty of education of federal universities were selected as ideal place for the study. The sample for the study is two hundred and fifty-five (255) undergraduate science education students. Multi-stage random sampling and simple random sampling techniques were applied. The test instrument named science education undergraduate students’ achievement in laboratory organization and management in Nigerian universities (SEUSALOMNU) was developed and adopted by the researchers. The instrument was subjected to face and content validity by two experts from Nigerian universities. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and ANCOVA. The result showed that the collaborative learning method (CLS) promotes high academic achievement in laboratory organization and management than the lecture method (LM). It was recommended among others that undergraduate science education students should be encouraged to study in smaller groups which would help in exchange of knowledge, and ideas, fast learning and encourage teamwork.