Effect of concept mapping instructional strategy on students’ achievement and interest in economics in secondary schools in enugu education zone

Project Abstract

<p> This study sought to<br>investigate the effect of concept mapping instructional strategy on students’<br>achievement and interest in Economics secondary schools in Enugu Education<br>Zone, Enugu State, Nigeria. It is a quasi-experimental study of non equivalent<br>pretest, posttest control group design. Ten research questions and ten null<br>hypotheses guided the study. A sample of 282 students from four purposively<br>selected secondary schools in Enugu Education Zone, were used for the study.<br>The main instruments for the study consisted of Economics Achievement Test<br>(EAT) and Economic Interest Inventory (EII) which were developed, validated and<br>used for data collection. The instruments (EAT and EII) were trial-tested using<br>Kudder-Richardson (K-R20) and Cronbach Alpha statistics and reliability indices<br>of 0.73 and 0.94 respectively were obtained which guaranteed the use of the<br>instruments for the study. Mean and Standard Deviation were used to answer the<br>research questions while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the<br>null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The results showed among others<br>that students that were taught Economics using concept mapping instructional<br>strategy achieved better than their counterparts taught with the lecture<br>instructional strategy; Students that were taught Economics using concept<br>mapping instructional strategy had higher interest score than their<br>counterparts taught with the lecture instructional strategy and that there is a<br>significant difference between the mean achievement scores of the students<br>taught Economics in secondary schools with concept mapping instructional<br>strategy and those taught with lecture instructional strategy in favour of the<br>experimental group. It concluded among others that when concept mapping<br>instructional strategy is utilized in teaching Economics in secondary schools,<br>students’ achievement and interest would improve. The study recommended among<br>others that the national universities commission<br>(NUC); National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) among other bodies<br>that develop the teacher education programmes should be focused towards<br>preparing economics teachers to acquire appropriate skills in instructional<br>delivery such concept mapping (CM) instructional strategy. <br></p>

Project Overview

<p> </p><p><strong>INTRODUCTION</strong></p><p><strong>Background<br>of the Study</strong></p><p>Economics<br>plays vital role in the development of rational decision making abilities on<br>the individuals, firms and the government of the State (country). Meaningful<br>knowledge of Economics could help individuals, firms, and government of the<br>state make rational decisions towards the achievement of their goals for<br>national development. Thus, the reason for introduction of Economics in the<br>curricula of secondary schools in Nigeria is not far- fetched.Many experts in the field of Economics<br>accept that the best definition to the concept of Economics is the one by<br>Robbins (Aderinto &amp; Abdulahi, 2009; Chikezie, 2009). Robbins as far back as<br>1932 refers to Economics as a social science which studies human behaviour as a<br>relationship between ends and scarce means which have alternative uses. This<br>definition by Robbins reveals different concepts in Economics which if well<br>understood explain what the study of Economics is all about and its benefits to<br>mankind and the economy. As a social science the study of Economics deals with<br>the study of human behaviours in the society. In short human beings and their<br>behaviours are to Economics what laboratory is to chemistry, biology and<br>Physics. Economics explains the behaviour of human beings in relation to scarce<br>resources. Human behaviour as a relationship between ends and scarce means<br>which have alternative uses imply that the available resources determine<br>people’s decision on what to eat, do or not to eat or do; Human reactions to<br>his needs are determined by the available resources.</p><p>From the foregoing, it could be deduced that<br>Economics deals with the study of choices, opportunity cost, needs and wants of<br>people in the society. Pennington (1999) opines that Economics is the study of<br>choices that people make to satisfy their needs and wants. Sharma (2012) refers<br>to Economics as a subject that studies laws and principles which govern the<br>functioning of an economy and its various parts; that is how a society decides<br>on using its scarce resources to obtain the maximum possible satisfaction for<br>the members of the society whose wants for goods and services are unlimited.<br>Consequently, Hall (2013) states that Economics is the study of how<br>individuals, firms and whole societies identify their most important needs,<br>allocate and manage scarce resources in such a way that satisfy as many needs<br>as possible. Economics as a Social Science deals with human behaviour and<br>allocation of scarce resources.</p><p>The<br>above explanation of the concept of Economics informs the contents of its lofty<br>objectives at secondary school level in Nigeria. The<br>objectives of Economics in senior secondary schools as outlined by the Federal<br>Ministry of Education (FME, 2008: ii &amp; iii) include to enable students:</p><ol><li>Understand basic economic<br>principles and concepts as well as the tools for sound economic analysis;</li><li>Contribute intelligently to<br>discourse on economic reforms and development as they affect or would affect<br>the generality of Nigerians;</li><li>Understand the structure and<br>functioning of economic institutions;</li><li>Appreciate the role of<br>public policies on national economy;</li><li>Develop the skills and also<br>appreciate the basis for rational economic decisions;</li><li>Become sensitized to<br>participate actively in national economic advancement through entrepreneurship,<br>capital market and so on;</li><li>Understand the role and<br>status of Nigeria<br>and other African countries in international economic relationships;</li><li>Appreciate the problems<br>encountered by developing countries in their effort towards economic<br>advancement.</li></ol><p>A<br>cursory look at the objectives of Economics explains its relevance to<br>individuals, firms and the nation. The relevance of Economics in individual,<br>firms and national development cannot be over-emphasized. The study of<br>Economics helps man to develop his way of thinking as to be able to analyze<br>economic problems of the society for decision taking (Chikezie, 2009). Chikezie<br>further reiterated that the experience derived from the study of Economics is used<br>to give practical advice to individuals, firms and the government.</p><p>The<br>study of Economics helps the individuals, companies, firms and governments in<br>taking decisions that would help the realization of their wants and needs. It<br>helps the government in making decision on which business to embark upon<br>towards building the economy for national development. On the parts of firms<br>and industries, the knowledge of Economics helps them to take decisions on what<br>to produce, for whom to produce, how to produce and efficiency of resource use<br>(Aderinto &amp; Abdullahi, 2009). Thus, Economics has some laudable lofty<br>objectives which prove its position as a social science.</p><p>The<br>level of achievement of the objectives of Economics at secondary school level<br>could be determined by the students’ achievement in the subject matter.<br>Achievement according to Hornby (2001) is academic accomplishments of<br>students as a result of exertion of efforts, skills, perseverance and practice.<br>It<br>is the degree or level of success attained at the end of an academic endeavour<br>(Iwundu, 2001). Corroborating this view, Uroko (2010) avers that academic<br>achievement of the individual is learning outcome of the individual. This<br>includes the knowledge, skills and ideas acquired and/ or gained through the course<br>of the study within and outside the classroom situations. Achievement<br>explains educational efforts of the students (Ugwoke, 2014). Ugwoke further<br>reiterates that it refers to the level of success made in academic endeavour. Achievement in education could be related to academic<br>success recorded by the learner in the teaching and learning process. It could be seen as the success students make<br>in their academic pursuit. For example, if a student is able to pass West<br>African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) at A, B and C levels, it can be<br>said that the student has made success in the said examination. But if the<br>student in question has made Ds, Es and Fs, it can be said that the student did<br>not succeed in the said examination. This implies that the yardstick for<br>measuring students’ level of academic achievement is by assessing the academic<br>performance of the individual through test (Ernest-Ehibudu &amp; Opurum, 2013).</p><p>Despite<br>the importance of Economics as a secondary school subject, students’ achievement<br>in the subject has declined tremendously. Evidence of this poor achievement of<br>students in Economics has been documented by the West African Examination<br>Council’s (WAEC) Chief Examiners’ report (2007; 2009 &amp; 2012). The document<br>states that students’ achievement in Economics is below average. However, In<br>the chief examiner’s report in 2002; 2003; 2007 and 2009May/June WASSCE and<br>also November/December 2004 WASSCE, it was stated that the overall performance<br>of the candidates was fair and the following weaknesses were noticeable among<br>the candidates: Poor coverage of the syllabus, inability to draw and label<br>diagrams properly, inadequate knowledge of the subject matter, outright<br>misinterpretation of some questions and disobedience to the rubrics. Apart from<br>the above general problems, WAEC chief examiners’ report (2004) states that<br>students’ achievement was below average on questions on production possibility<br>curve (PPC). Similarly, WAEC chief examiners’ reports (2009 and 2012) state<br>that students’ achievements on taxation and revenue concepts were very poor.<br>The reason for the poor achievement has been attributed to inability of the<br>students to arrange their points in an orderly manner (WAEC Chief Examiners’<br>report, 2009). &nbsp; </p><p>Achievement of the objectives of Economics in<br>secondary schools can be influenced by certain factors. Among these factors are<br>the instructional strategy used in teaching the subject, students’ interest,<br>gender and school location (Okeke, 2013). According<br>to Nuhu (2014) instructional strategies are the plans for success in classroom<br>instruction. Nuhu further explains that instructional strategy involves the<br>sequencing or ordering of the techniques a teacher intends using in a class. Instructional<br>strategies refer to planned ways on how to carry out teaching and learning<br>exercise for a better academic achievement. Instructional strategies employ<br>some teaching methods and techniques to foster learning (Ezegbe, 2014).<br>Teaching methods broadly deal with all aspects of what happens in a<br>classroom during a teaching learning session and even some times before and<br>after it, including preparation for and remedial work after (Eze, 1998). On the other hand, a teaching technique is a specific way<br>or aspect of a particular method of teaching (Mezieobi, Fubara &amp; Mezieobi,<br>2013). However, Nuhu (2014) refers to teaching techniques as the specific<br>activities or actions performed by the teacher in the classroom to achieve the<br>goal of instruction.</p><p>Some of the commonly identified instructional strategies include:<br>discovery, value clarification, discussion, simulation and game, and<br>dramatization (National Teachers’ Institute, NTI, 2006). The NTI has therefore recommended<br>a new approach for the teaching and learning of Social Sciences in schools<br>called the learner-centered instructional strategy. According to the Federal<br>Ministry of Education (FME, 2008), the instructional strategies for teaching<br>Economics as a living subject should include collaborative, interactive and<br>learner-oriented instructional strategies. The FME further breaks the<br>instructional strategies to include future’s wheel, entre education, concept<br>mapping, field trips, co-operative learning instructional strategies among<br>others.</p><p>However,<br>most Economics teachers in secondary schools go about using the lecture<br>instructional strategy. This proposition is in line with Ogunleye (2002) and<br>Igbokwe (2010) who states that the dominant instructional strategy adopted by<br>teachers in developing countries like Nigeria is the lecture<br>instructional strategy. Lecture instructional strategy<br>refers to an instructional strategy where the teacher claims an all knowing<br>position and authoritatively gives instructions to the learners who are passive<br>listeners (Akpochafo, 2014). It involves the teacher telling students facts<br>about a particular topic ( e.g concept of revenue) and expecting those students<br>to recount what they have been told (Aguokagbue, 2006). Lecture stresses on the<br>traditional view that the learner is almost blank and it is the teacher’s role<br>to impart knowledge to fill the blank by merely telling his students who<br>function as passive listeners (Oyebola, 2014). Lecture as an instructional<br>strategy has many advantages. it can be used in teaching large class, enhances<br>economy of time, easy coverage of content, creates interest and appreciation on<br>learners and supplements and enriches materials found in students’ textbooks<br>(Ezeani, 1998). </p><p>However, lecture instructional strategy encourages rote<br>memorization of concepts instead of making learning participatory and/ or<br>interactive (Ezegbe, Okeke &amp; Chikwelu, 2013). It focuses entirely on<br>intellectual development and ignores experiential learning. It teaches students<br>how to succeed on standardized tests and relies mostly on the use of the intellect.<br>Obviously, this instructional strategy has failed to bring about the desired<br>outcome of producing thinking students. Thus, some scholars have blamed<br>students’ poor achievement to the dominant use of lecture instructional<br>strategy (Torty &amp; Offorma, 2013). Therefore, there is the need for teachers<br>to have a change of style in order to be able to meet the demands of the 21st<br>century students. In the light of this, an alternative teaching strategy like<br>concept mapping could be used. &nbsp; </p><p>Concept mapping originates from concept maps. According to Rao (2015), concept maps are<br>diagrammatic representations which show meaningful relationships between<br>concepts in the form of propositions which are linked together by words, circles,<br>and cross links. According to Horton, McConney, Gallo, Woods, Senn, and Hamelin<br>(1993), concept mappings are identified as two-dimensional, hierarchical,<br>node-linked diagrams that depict verbal conceptual or declarative knowledge in<br>succinct visual or graphical forms. Thus, concept mapping is a structured<br>process focused on a topic or construct of interest involving input from one or<br>more participants that produces an interpretable pictorial view of their ideas<br>and concepts and how these are interrelated (Yusuf, 2009). In concept maps<br>ideas are arranged hierarchically with the super ordinate concepts at the top<br>of the map, and subordinate at the bottom which are less inclusive than higher<br>ones. “Cross links” are used to connect different segments of the concepts’<br>hierarchy, which indicate syntheses of related concepts, a new interpretation<br>of old ideas, and some degree of creative thinking.</p><p>Learning through concept mapping is explained by the<br>constructivist theory (Vygotsky, 1978), as a hand on task learning that<br>encourages experiential learning. Stoica, Moranu and Miron (2011) opines that<br>constructivist learning theory argues that new knowledge should be integrated<br>into existing structures in order to be remembered and receive meaning. Concept<br>mapping stimulates this process by making it explicit and by requiring the learner<br>to pay attention to the relationship between concepts. In concept mapping instructional<br>strategy the relationships or inter-relationship of a new concept/idea with<br>existing or already known concept/idea is presented diagrammatically and in a<br>hierarchical order (Smith &amp; Dwyer, 1995). Hierarchical presentation of<br>ideas usually from simple to complex could enhance students’ achievement and<br>interest in a subject. When this is true, it is the intention of the researcher<br>to investigate the effect of concept mapping on students’ achievement and<br>interest in Economics in secondary schools.</p><p>Interest is an important<br>variable in the teaching and learning of Economics. Interest is a persisting<br>inclination to be attentive and enjoy some activities or contents (Chukwu,<br>2002). Interest according to Hidi<br>&amp; Renninger<br>(2006) is a relatively enduring predisposition to re-engage with particular<br>content, such as objects, events, ideas and task. Corroborating this view,<br>Ainley cited in Raymond (2013)<br>defines interest as a feeling that accompanies or causes special attention to<br>an object or class of objects. According to Torty and Offorma (2013) interest<br>is emotionally oriented behavioural trait which determines a student’s urge and<br>vigor to tackle educational programmes or other activities. Interest refers to<br>the degree of likeness a student demonstrates over a subject of study that<br>gives him/her the motivation to put in more efforts in the subject for a better<br>academic achievement. Suitable<br>teaching methods increase students’ interest which leads to higher achievement.<br>(Chukwu, 2002). Bakare (1991) opines that<br>interest is useful in predicting the success and the satisfaction which an<br>individual is likely to obtain from engaging in certain activities. According<br>to Ezegbe, Ikwumelu &amp; Okeke (2012) students do well in a subject they are<br>interested in more than the one they have no interest in. It is therefore<br>necessary that appropriate instructional strategy should be used to enhance<br>students’ interest in learning Economics.</p><p>Apart from interest,<br>gender is another vital variable in teaching and learning. Gender according<br>to Uzoegwu (2004) is varied socially and culturally constructed roles,<br>qualities and behaviour that are ascribed to men and women of different<br>societies. Okeke (2008) refers to gender<br>as the social or cultural characteristics, rotes or behaviour which males and<br>females are known for by society. Onyegegebu (2008) defines gender as the sum<br>total of cultural values, attitudes, roles practices and characteristics based<br>on sex. Onyegegebu further described sex as the innate biological differences<br>between women and men. Gender in this study is social<br>definition of sex roles rather than the biological distinction between male and<br>female. Thus some arguments emphasize that male read certain subjects and some<br>others are reserved specifically for females. Thus, attributing failures or<br>successes of students to some prejudices that some subjects are made for males<br>(masculine subject) while others are made for males (feminine subjects). On the<br>issue of gender and achievement, many researchers shared divergent views<br>(Okeke, 2013). Accordingly, Onuoha (2010) found that male and female students<br>have almost equal achievement in social studies when exposed to concept mapping<br>instructional strategy.</p><p>On the other hand, Egbe, Mba and Nebechukwu (2010)<br>state that gender is a significant factor in the achievement of students in<br>drama in favour of males. Although some researchers, Ugwuanyi (2012) reported that girls<br>did better than boys in students’ conceptual understanding of force and motion.<br>Ndina and Wagbara (2012) showed that girls had greater influence on their<br>attitude towards chemistry than boys. On the other hand, Ukozor (2011) reported<br>that boys achieved better than girls in sciences. However, other researchers,<br>Nzewi ( 2010) and Okeke (2007) &nbsp;showed<br>that gender has insignificant effect on science achievement.<br>These unresolved controversies among<br>researchers on the influence of gender on students’ achievement make this study<br>necessary.</p><p>Another important variable<br>in teaching and learning is the school location. School location refers to<br>where a school is sited. Ezeudu<br>(2003) states that school location is the urban-rural setting of a school. It<br>shows whether a school is sited in the town or in the rural area. A school that<br>is planted in town such as Community High School, Emene, Girls’ Secondary<br>School, Emene, New, Havens Boys’ School, Enugu could have students from<br>different backgrounds such the poor and the rich children co-existing in a<br>school as a result of heterogeneous nature of the town environment. Students in<br>the urban area could have the privilege of having qualified teachers,<br>facilities that foster learning. On the other hand, schools sited in the rural<br>area like Community Secondary School, Mbu, Community<br>Secondary School, Umualor, and Community Secondary School, Eha-Ohuala could be<br>dominated by students from poor backgrounds and may have poorly staffed schools<br>and poor facilities as a result of the underdeveloped nature of the rural<br>areas. These factors could influence students’ academic achievement.</p><p>Consequently, there are disagreements among scholars<br>on the influence of school location on students’ interest and achievement. Some<br>scholars argue that school location has no significant influence on students’<br>achievement (Okeke, 2013 and Okonkwo,<br>2014). Some scholars reported that school location had effect on students’<br>achievement. Oyedokun and James (2001) and Orukokan and Balogun (2001) state<br>that urban school students with available science facilities performed better<br>than their rural counterparts where such facilities are lacking. On the<br>contrary, Otor (2013) states that rural students performed better than their<br>urban counterparts when exposed to concept mapping strategy in teaching<br>structure of matter and energy changes in chemistry. On the other hand some<br>scholars maintain that both the urban and rural students could have almost<br>equal achievement when exposed to a practical instructional strategy (Okeke,<br>2013; Okonkwo, 2014). &nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p>In<br>all, studies have shown that effect of concept mapping instructional strategy<br>on students’ achievement has been investigated in other areas of study (Adesola<br>&amp; Salako, 2013; Eriba, 2013; Wushishi, Danjuma &amp; Usman, 2013). However,<br>from the reviewed empirical studies, little or no study has been conducted on<br>the effect of concept mapping instructional strategy on students’ achievement<br>and interest in Economics in secondary schools in Enugu Education Zone, Enugu State, Nigeria with particular reference<br>to gender and school location their interaction effect with treatment to<br>influence students’ achievement and interest in Economics. To this end, this<br>study investigated the effect of concept mapping instructional strategy on<br>students’ achievement and interest in Economics in secondary schools in Enugu<br>Education Zone, Enugu State,<br>Nigeria?’</p><p><strong>Statement of the Problem</strong></p><p>It<br>is the expectation of stake holders in education that students have better<br>achievement in all the subjects offered in secondary schools. However, this<br>expectation seems unrealizable as students record poor achievement in different<br>subject areas economics inclusive. Evidence of this poor achievement of<br>students in Economics has been documented by the West African Examination<br>Council’s (WAEC) Chief Examiners’ report (2007; 2009 &amp; 2012). The document<br>states that students’ achievement in Economics is below average. However, In<br>the chief examiner’s report in 2002; 2003; 2007 and 2009May/June WASSCE and<br>also November/December 2004 WASSCE, it was stated that the overall performance<br>of the candidates was fair and the following weaknesses were noticeable among<br>the candidates: Poor coverage of the syllabus, inability to draw and label<br>diagrams properly, inadequate knowledge of the subject matter, outright<br>misinterpretation of some questions and disobedience to the rubrics. Apart from<br>the above general problems the WAEC chief examiners’ report (2004) states that<br>students’ achievement was below average on questions on production possibility<br>curve (PPC). Similarly, WAEC chief examiners’ reports (2009 &amp; 2012) state<br>that students’ achievements on taxation and revenue concepts were very poor.<br>The reason for the poor achievement has been attributed to inability of the<br>students to arrange their points in an orderly manner. However, the WEAC chief<br>examiners’ report 2007 attributes the issues of poor achievement to instructional<br>strategy used in teaching and learning. However, some researchers attributed<br>the case of poor achievement to dwindled interest of the learner on the subject<br>matter, and other factors like gender and school location. Thus, the problem of<br>this study put in question form is ‘what is the effect of concept mapping instructional<br>strategy on students’ achievement and interest in Economics in Enugu Education<br>Zone.</p><p><strong>Purpose of the Study</strong></p><p>The<br>general purpose of this study was to find out the effect of concept mapping<br>instructional strategy on students’ achievement and interest in Economics in Enugu education zone. Specifically,<br>the study investigated:-</p><ul><li>the effect of concept mapping<br>instructional strategy on students’ &nbsp;achievement in Economics in secondary schools;</li><li>the effect of concept mapping<br>instructional strategy on students’ interest <br>in Economics in secondary schools;</li><li>the influence of gender on students’<br>achievement in Economics in secondary schools;</li><li>&nbsp;the influence of gender on students’ interest<br>in Economics in secondary schools;</li><li>the interaction effect of<br>treatment and gender on students’ academic achievement in Economics in secondary<br>schools;</li><li>&nbsp;the interaction effect of treatment and gender<br>on students’ interest in Economics in secondary schools;</li><li>the influence of school location on<br>students’ achievement in Economics in secondary schools;</li><li>the influence of school location on<br>students’ interest in Economics in secondary schools;</li><li>&nbsp;the interaction effect of treatment and school<br>location on students’ achievement in Economics in secondary schools;</li></ul><p>(10) the interaction effect of treatment<br>and school location on students’ interest in Economics in secondary schools</p><p><strong>Significance of the Study</strong></p><p><strong>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</strong>The findings of<br>this study have both theoretical and practical significance. The theoretical<br>significance of this study was anchored on Bruner’s view of discovery learning,<br>Ausubel’s assimilation theory and Vygotsky’s constructivist theory that seem to<br>believe in participatory learning towards fascinating students’ interest on the<br>learnt materials and promoting students’ achievement. The findings of this<br>study would help strengthen or refute Bruner, Ausubel and Vygotsky’s theories<br>which believe in discovery learning through active involvement of the learners<br>on the learning task. This suggests that with the concept mapping instructional<br>strategy students through drawing of the concept maps and identifying the<br>relationship between the main ideas of a concept could have deep understanding<br>of the concept. This would fascinate the students’ interest on the concept<br>thereby enhancing academic achievement.</p><p>Practically, the<br>findings of the study would benefit the students,<br>professional economics teachers, researchers and curriculum planners. The<br>students would benefit from the result of this study when published, in that it<br>would enable them to learn how to understand the links among the main ideas of<br>a concept towards indepth learning of the concept. When students through<br>drawing of the concept maps can learn the main ideas of a concept, their<br>interests would be aroused towards a better academic achievement in the subject<br>matter. It would make them to be engaged all through the instructional<br>processes as concept mapping instructional strategy enhances participatory and/<br>or practical learning.</p><p>&nbsp;To the professional Economics teachers, it<br>will make their teaching more practical and participatory. This is because the<br>students would be anxious to get the information the concept maps being drawn<br>by the teacher tends to convey thereby constructing meaning out of the concept<br>mapping even before the teacher ends the instruction. &nbsp;This could help make the teaching easy and<br>learning more practical.</p><p>Future<br>researchers in the field of social science education would find this study<br>relevant when published. It would help them to identify a theory that can<br>explain their study; the design to be used and method of analysis precisely<br>when their studies share with the nature of this study. This would help make<br>research work less labourous.</p><p>Finally, Curriculum<br>planners can use the outcome of this study when published to improve their<br>curriculum decisions on effective participatory instructional strategies for teaching<br>and learning of Economics in secondary schools for improved academic<br>achievement. This would help reduce the rate at which students<br>fail the subjects towards enhancing their decision making powers for individual<br>and national development.</p><p><strong>Scope<br>of the Study</strong></p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This study<br>was limited to the effect of concept mapping instructional strategy on<br>students’ achievement and interest in economics in secondary schools in Enugu<br>Education zone, Enugu State. Senior secondary two (SSII) Economics students<br>were used for the study. </p><p>The content<br>scope of the study included SSII Economics Units such as concept of revenue,<br>production possibility curve (PPC), public finance and taxation. The reason for<br>choice of the above topics was that they can yield to concept mapping<br>instructional strategy. Students can draw their concept maps and from that have<br>in-depth knowledge of the topics for improved academic achievement and<br>interest.</p><p><strong>Research<br>Questions</strong></p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; There were ten research questions in<br>this study that helped to find solution to the problems of the study. They were<br>as follows:</p><ol><li>What are the mean achievement scores of<br>students taught Economics in secondary schools using concept mapping<br>instructional strategy and those taught with the lecture instructional strategy?</li><li>What are the mean interest scores of<br>students taught Economics in secondary schools using concept mapping<br>instructional strategy and those taught using lecture instructional strategy?</li><li>What are the mean achievement scores of<br>male and female students in Economics in secondary schools?</li><li>What are the mean interest scores of<br>male and female students in Economics in secondary schools?</li><li>What is the interaction effect<br>of treatment and gender on students’ academic achievement in Economics in secondary<br>schools?</li><li>What is the interaction effect<br>of treatment and gender on students’ interest in Economics in secondary schools?</li><li>What are the mean achievement scores of<br>urban and rural students in Economics?</li><li>What are the mean interest scores of<br>urban and rural students in Economics?</li><li>What is the interaction effect of<br>treatment and school location on students’ achievement in Economics in<br>secondary schools?</li><li>What is the interaction effect of<br>treatment and school location on students’ interest in Economics in secondary<br>schools?</li></ol><p><strong>Research Hypotheses</strong></p><p>The<br>following null hypotheses guided the study and were tested at 0.05 level of<br>significance.</p><p><strong>H01:</strong><br>There is no significant difference between the mean achievement scores of<br>students taught Economics in secondary schools with concept mapping<br>instructional strategy and those taught with lecture instructional strategy.</p><p><strong>H02:</strong><br>There is no significant difference between the mean interest scores of students<br>taught Economics in secondary schools with concept mapping and those taught<br>with lecture instructional strategy.</p><p><strong>H03:</strong><br>Gender does not significantly influence students’ mean achievement scores in<br>Economics in secondary schools.</p><p><strong>H04:</strong><br>Gender does not significantly influence students’ mean interest scores in<br>Economics in secondary schools.</p><p><strong>H05:</strong>&nbsp;There is<br>no significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on students’ academic<br>achievement in Economics in secondary schools.</p><p><strong>H06:</strong>&nbsp;There is<br>no significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on students’ interest<br>in Economics in secondary schools.</p><p><strong>H07:</strong>&nbsp; There is no significant influence of school<br>location on students’ achievement in Economics in secondary schools.</p><p><strong>H08:</strong>&nbsp; There is no significant influence of school<br>location on students’ interest in Economics in secondary schools.</p><p><strong>H09:<br></strong>There<br>is no significant interaction effect of treatment and school location on<br>students’ achievement in Economics in secondary schools.</p><p><strong>H010: </strong>There is no significant interaction effect of treatment and school location on students’ interest in Economics in secondary schools.</p> <br><p></p>