Effects of Cognitive Apprenticeship Instructional Strategy on Interest in Physics among Secondary School Students in Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract This paper compared the effect of the Cognitive Apprenticeship Instructional Strategy (CAIS) on secondary school students' interest in Physics in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. This study also compared the effect of CAIS on the interest of male and female students in Physics. The study adopted the pre-test, post-test, control group quasi-experimental, and survey research designs. The sample consisted of 90 Senior Secondary School class One (SSS I) students selected during the 2024/2025 academic session in Apa Local government area of Benue State using a multi-stage sampling procedure. The Physics Students’ Interest Questionnaire (PSIQ) was used for data collection. The Cronbach’s Alpha (α) statistics were adopted to determine the reliability of PSIQ which yielded 0.81. The results showed that CAIS is an effective teaching strategy for improving secondary school students’ interest (Post-test: x̄ = 40.8140, Pre-test: x̄ = 16.6977) in Physics. The findings have also shown that the CAIS is gender-neutral in improving students’ interest (Male: x̄ = 40.27, Female: x̄ = 41.11) in Physics. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that the CAIS is effective in enhancing male and female secondary school Physics students’ interest in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State. It was therefore recommended that teachers should receive training, workshops, and seminars on the use of CAIS to ensure effective implementation and to maximize its benefits. Keywords: Cognitive Apprenticeship, Teacher Expository Teaching, Physics, interest