Effect of Simulation and Project Work Strategies on Science Education Students' Achievement and Problem-Solving Skills

The study investigated the effect of simulation and project work strategies on science education students’ achievement and problem-solving skills. This study used the quasi-experimental non-equivalent pretest and posttest control group design. The population was 29,904SSII science students in public secondary school in Delta State. The sample is 214 students in 6 schools. The instruments used for data collection was Science Education Achievement Test (SEAT) and Problem-Solving Skills Scale (PSSS).The schools were randomly assigned into the control and experimental groups. The students in the control group were taught with the lecture method of teaching while the students in the experimental groups were taught using simulation and project work strategies. Before the study began, a pre-test for both the experimental group and control groups were conducted to assess their prior knowledge and problem-solving skills .The posttest was carried out after the study session to the test the ability of students from both the experimental and the control groups. The data obtained were analysed using ANCOVA to compare the score of students in the experimental and control groups. The results showed a significant difference in the effects of simulation strategy, project work strategy and lecture method on students’ achievement and problem-solving skills in science education. The study, thus, concludes that the use of simulation and project work strategies in science education was more beneficial than the lecture method in relation to students’ achievement and problem-solving skills. The adoption of simulation and project work strategies as a medium of instruction at all levels in Nigerian educational system to improve achievement and problem-solving skills of learners was recommended.