Effect of Heuristic Strategy on Academic Performance and Retention of Islamic Studies Students in Senior Secondary Schools, Kaduna State, Nigeria

The study was guided by two (2) specific objectives and corresponding research questions and hypotheses. The study was delimited to SS II Islamic Studies students of Kaduna State. Only the Islamic Economic System was covered with Heuristic, performance, and retention ability as variables. The study adopted a Quasi-experimental design with a population of 29 senior secondary schools and 2, 138 students. A 195-sample size was drawn from the population and used from 3 intact classes using the purposive sampling technique. Islamic Studies Performance and Retention Ability Test (ISPRAT) was used as an instrument for data collection. The instrument was pilot tested, and the result obtained for reliability coefficient was 0.83 level of significance. Data was collected by self and analyzed research questions using Mean and standard deviation, and t-test was used to analysed and reject hypothesis one and retained hypothesis two. The study found that students taught the Islamic Economic System using the heuristic strategy performed better than those taught with conventional method in Islamic Studies in Senior Secondary Schools in Kaduna, Nigeria (p= .003). The Heuristic strategy retains students' Islamic Economic System knowledge in Islamic Studies in Senior Secondary Schools in Kaduna – Nigeria (p= .185). The study concluded by recommending that, Senior Secondary school authorities encourage teachers to use a Heuristic approach to teach Islamic Studies since it enhances students' performances. A Heuristic strategy should be used instead of the conventional teaching method to retain the Islamic Economic System in students.