Teaching methods and learners’ academic performance in chemistry in selected universal secondary education schools in Arua district, Uganda

Abstract

This study was aimed at establishing the relationship between teaching methods and learners’ academic performance in Chemistry in selected Universal Secondary Education schools in Arua District. This was prompted by the poor academic performance of learners in Chemistry from 2017 to 2022. The objectives of the study were to establish the relationship between group-discussion, inquiry-based and lecture methods of teaching and learners’ academic performance in Chemistry in selected Universal Secondary Education schools in Arua District. A correlational cross-sectional survey design was used. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches with a sample of 262 respondents was used. Simple random sampling technique was used to select among the learners while purposive sampling technique was use to select the teachers. A structured questionnaire was used for collecting data from the learners while an observation guide was use to collect data from teachers. The validity of the questionnaire was 0.726 while that of the lesson observation checklist was 0.720. The questionnaire was reliable with a Cronbach Alpha Index of 0.719. The quantitative data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages and mean) and inferential statistics (Pearson’s correlation) while the qualitative analysis used thematic approach. Findings from the study show a statistical insignificant value (p=.449) between group-discussion method of teaching and learner’ academic performance, a statistically significant value (p=.000) between inquiry-based method of teaching and learners’ academic performance, and a statistical insignificant value (p=.344) between lecture method of teaching and learners’ academic performance. It was therefore concluded that teaching methods significantly affected learners’ academic performance in Chemistry in selected Universal Secondary Education schools. Finally, the study recommended that Chemistry teachers in the selected Universal Secondary Education schools in Arua District should focus on using inquiry-based method of teaching but not on groupdiscussion method of teaching and lecture method of teaching.