Effectiveness of Field Trip Learning Instructional Strategy on Achievement in Social Studies among Primary School Pupils in Delta State

Abstract

The teaching and learning of Social Studies through field trip strategies are believed to enhance students’ academic achievement. This study examined the effectiveness of the field trip instructional strategy (FTIS) on achievement in Social Studies among primary school pupils in Delta State. The research was guided by two research questions and three hypotheses. A quasi-experimental design, specifically a pre-test, post-test, control group design, was adopted. The population comprised all upper basic education level Social Studies students in public schools in Delta State. A multistage sampling technique was used to select a sample of 100 Social Studies students from two non equivalent intact classrooms. The validated instrument, "Social Studies Achievement Test" (SSAT), with a reliability coefficient of 0.80, was used for data collection. The experimental group was taught Social Studies using the field trip instructional strategy, while the control group was taught using the conventional lecture method. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level. The findings revealed that the field trip instructional strategy significantly improved students’ academic achievement in Social Studies compared to the conventional lecture method. Additionally, no significant difference was observed in the academic achievement of students based on gender. It was recommended that curriculum planners should incorporate field trips into the upper basic school curriculum to provide students with firsthand experiences and enhance their understanding of concepts discussed in the classroom.