EFFECTS OF PREDICT-EXPLAIN-OBSERVE-EXPLAIN AND VEE HEURISTIC STRATEGIES ON STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT, METACOGNITIVE AWARENESS AND SELF-EFFICACY BELIEF IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA

This research investigated the effects of Predict-Explain-Observe-Explain (PEOE) and Vee Heuristic (VH) strategies on students’ achievement, metacognitive awareness and self-efficacy belief in Organic Chemistry in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The moderating effect of gender was also investigated. The study adopted a pretest, posttest, control group, quasi-experimental research design. The instruments used for data collection were Organic Chemistry Achievement Test (OCAT), Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) and Organic Chemistry Self-Efficacy Belief Scale (OCSEBS). Kuder-Richardson (KR-21) formula was used to test internal consistency of OCAT which yielded a reliability value of 0.94. Cronbach Alpha was used to ascertain the reliability index of MAI and OCSEBS respectively which gave reliability values of 0.84 and 0.86 respectively. The target population was 14,753 Senor Secondary II students offering chemistry in the study area. A sample of 308 students (Male=174 and female=134) drawn from 9 schools within the 9 Local Government Areas (LGA) out of 16 LGA in the Ekiti State, Nigeria was selected using multi-stage sampling techniques. Twelve research questions and twelve null hypotheses guided the study. The research questions were answered using Mean and Standard Deviation scores while the null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using results from Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The study revealed that there was significant difference in the mean achievement scores of students taught Organic Chemistry using PEOE, VH strategy and discussion method [F2, 307=255.284, P<0.05]. It was found that there was no significant difference between the mean achievement of male and female students taught Organic Chemistry using PEOE strategy [F1, 103 =.665, P>0.05] and VH strategy [F1, 100 =.420, P>0.05]. The study revealed that there was significant difference in the mean metacognitive awareness scores of students taught Organic Chemistry using PEOE strategy, VH strategy and discussion method [F2, 307=3742.616, P<0.05]. It was found that there was no significant difference between the mean metacognitive awareness of male and female students taught Organic Chemistry using PEOE strategy [F1, 103 =.874, P>0.050] and VH strategy [F1, 100 =.705, P>0.050]. The study revealed that there was significant difference in the mean self-efficacy belief scores of students taught Organic Chemistry using PEOE strategy, VH strategy and discussion method [F2, 307=2953.260, P<0.05]. It was found that there was no significant difference between the mean self-efficacy belief of male and female students taught Organic Chemistry using PEOE strategy [F1, 103 =.817, P>0.050] and VH strategy [F1, 100 =.101, P>0.050]. It was recommended among others that since PEOE and VH strategies were found to be effective strategies for improving students’ achievement, metacognitive awareness and self-efficacy belief in Organic Chemistry; Chemistry teacher’s trainee should be trained on the use of PEOE and VH strategies and serving teachers should use it. The curriculum developers should use PEOE and VH strategies to develop and refine the Chemistry curriculum in general and Organic Chemistry in particular.