Problem-Based Learning Compared with The Lecture Method in Enhancing Academic Achievement in Basic Science in Delta State

Umukoro Ogheneovo Emmanuel; Prof. O. P. Ajaja; Dr. H. E. Avwiri

doi:10.56201/jbgr.vol.12.no3.2026.pg42.53

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Problem-Based Learning Compared with The Lecture Method in Enhancing Academic Achievement in Basic Science in Delta State

Umukoro Ogheneovo Emmanuel, Prof. O. P. Ajaja, and, Dr. H. E. Avwiri

Abstract

Enhancing students’ achievement in Basic Science continues to be a major issue in science education, particularly with regard to the teaching approaches used in the classroom. This study investigated the relative effectiveness of problem-based learning and the lecture method on students’ achievement in Basic Science, with consideration for gender differences. A quasi- experimental design, specifically the non-randomized pretest–posttest planned variation, was employed. The study population consisted of 174,570 Basic Eight students in public secondary schools in Delta State, Nigeria. From this population, a sample of 228 students was selected from four intact classes in four public secondary schools through a simple random sampling technique. Data were obtained using the Basic Science Achievement Test , a 50-item multiple-choice instrument adapted from previous Basic Education Certificate Examination questions. The instrument was validated by experts, and its reliability was established using the Kuder– Richardson Formula 21, producing a coefficient of 0.88. The instructional intervention lasted six weeks, during which students were taught using either problem-based learning or the lecture method. Data analysis involved the use of mean and standard deviation to address the research questions, while Analysis of Covariance was applied to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed that students exposed to problem-based learning attained higher achievement scores than those taught through the lecture method. The results further indicated that gender did not have a significant influence on students’ performance, and there was no significant interaction effect between instructional method and gender. Based on these outcomes, the study concluded that problem-based learning is more effective than the lecture approach in improving students’ achievement in Basic Science. It was also concluded that gender does not significantly influence achievement when problem-based learning is utilized. Consequently, it was recommended, among other suggestions, that Basic Science teachers should incorporate problem-based learning strategies into their instructional practices to promote improved achievement.

Keywords

Problem-based learningLecture methodAchievementBasic ScienceInstructional StrategiesGender.

References

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Problem-Based Learning Compared with The Lecture Method in Enhancing Academic Achievement in Basic Science in Delta State

Abstract

Keywords

References

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