A Comparative Study of Innovative Pedagogical Approaches on Academic Achievement in Basic Technology among Alimosho Junior Secondary School Students

Abstract

This study examined the effects of innovative pedagogical approaches (problem-based learning and context-based learning) compared with conventional teaching methods on the academic achievement of Junior Secondary School students in Basic Technology in Alimosho Area of Lagos State, Nigeria. Two research questions and hypotheses guided the study. A quasi-experimental pretest posttest non-equivalent control group design was adopted. Using multistage sampling techniques, 468 JSS2 students from three public junior secondary schools participated. Nine intact classes were assigned to experimental and control groups. Students in the experimental groups were taught using innovative pedagogical approaches, while those in the control groups received instruction through conventional methods. Data were collected using the Basic Technology Achievement Test (BTAT). The instrument was validated by experts, and reliability testing using the Kuder–Richardson formula (KR 20) yielded a coefficient of 0.78. Mean scores and standard deviations answered the research questions, while analysis of variance (ANOVA) tested the hypotheses at 0.05 significance level. Findings showed that students taught using innovative pedagogical approaches achieved significantly higher academic performance than those taught using conventional methods. The study concludes that problem-based and context-based teaching strategies improve students' achievement in Basic Technology and recommends their adoption in junior secondary schools.