PROBLEM-SOLVING INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF PHYSICS STUDENTS IN ORUK ANAM LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

This study investigated problem-solving instructional strategies on the academic performance of Physics students in Oruk Anam Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State. Two research questions and two corresponding hypotheses guided the study. A quasi-experimental design employing a pretest-posttest control group was adopted. The sample comprised 106 Senior Secondary II Physics students drawn from two public secondary schools in the study area, randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The research instrument, Physics Performance Test, was pilot-tested and yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.76. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation to address the research questions while inferential statistics of Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) were employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that the problem-solving instructional strategy significantly enhanced student's academic performance in Physics compared to the discussion method. Additionally, a significant difference was observed in the mean performance scores of male and female students taught using the problem-solving strategy. Based on these findings, it is recommended that Physics teachers adopt problem-solving instructional strategies to promote deeper understanding, boost learners’ confidence, and improve overall academic performance in Physics.