IMPROVING STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE AND RETENTION IN READING OF SCIENCE-BASED TEXTS USING 5E AND SCAFFOLDING STRATEGIES IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

This study examined how 5E and scaffolding strategies could improve students’ performance and retention in reading of science-based texts in Benue State, Nigeria. The study utilized a quasi-experimental, pretest, posttest non-randomised equivalent group design selecting purposively a sample of 44 low achieving senior secondary one students in two different schools from a population of 10,980 students in the 307 secondary schools in Benue State. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The instruments for data collection were Science Reading Performance Test (SRPT) and Science Reading Retention Test (SRRT). The SRPT was subjected to trial testing and its reliability coefficient was analysed using Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (K-R 20). This yielded a coefficient of 0.96. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation and the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 significance level using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). It was found that there was no significant difference in the performance of low-achieving senior secondary one students taught reading comprehension of science-based texts using 5E model and scaffolding strategy (1,44,=4.456; 0.41; p=0.296 >0.05) and there was no significant difference in the retention ability of low-achieving senior secondary one students taught reading comprehension of science-based texts using 5E and scaffolding strategies (1,44,=1.122; 1.122; p=0.296 >0.05). Based on these findings, it was recommended that Head teachers should organise seminars aimed at educating teachers on how to use 5E and scaffolding strategies in the teaching of reading comprehension in order to improve students’ academic performance and their retention ability