Gender Difference in Achievement Among Secondary School Students Taught Physics Concepts Using a Metacognitivc Instructional Technique

The study aimed at determining the gender difference in achievement of secondary school physics students taught using a metacognitivc instructional technique. The quasiexperimental pretest-posttest experimental-control group research design was adopted for the study. A sample of90 students (61 males and 29females), in two intact classes from two secondary schools randomly drawn from thirty two senior secondary schools in Minna Education Zone B were used for the study. One class was randomly assigned as the experimental group while the other class served as the control group. The treatment lasted for four weeks during which the experimental group was taught using a metacognitive technique. The control group was taught by means of the conventional expository method. Three research questions were raised and answered and three hypotheses were also formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data were collected using Physics Achievement Test (PAT) developed by the researchers. The reliability coefficient ofPAl is 0.76. Data collected were analyzed using means, standard deviation and t-test statistics. The results showed that students exposed to metacognitive teaching achieved significantly better than those taught using the conventional expository method. There was significant difference in achievement of male and female students in the experimental group. Based on the result, the researchers recommended that physics teachers should be encouraged to employ metacognitive technique in preference to conventional expository method for classroom instruction in both single d co-educational schools. Curriculum planners/developers should consideration the inclusion of metacognitive instructional technique in our school curriculum for use by teachers especially those in the sciences.