Improving Grade 9th H Students’ Result in Physics Subject in

Dire Dawa Sabian Secondary and Preparatory School 1

Abstract:

The main objective of the study was to improve Grade 9th H Students’ Result in

Physics Subject by implementing a collaborative teaching method in Dire Dawa Sabian

Secondary and Preparatory Schools. From the total number of 54 students in the class,

only 36 (18 male and 18 female) students who always present in the class were selected

for this study using purposive sampling technique. The research source required were

collected from questionaires, and the total mark of first & second semester of the

selected students. Closed and open questionnaires were used to make this research

accurate and appropriate. The data was sorted, and entered using SPSS software. The

data were analysed by using descriptive statistics. After gathering information

responded by the teachers and students, the cause of the problem were identified out
and the pre-post results posit the need of an intervention therefore, the researchers

planned a strategy of an intervention design to resolve the problems. After the

implementation of the intervation programe, the post result conducted from the final

exam result which was used to collect the post data. The data was sorted, and entered

using SPSS software. The data was analysed by using descriptive statistics and T-test

at p < 0.05 significant level. The result of the data analysis showed that there is a

significant difference between the mean score of students taught with collaborative

method and traditional method. This study also revealed that, there is no significant

difference between the mean scores of male and female students in collaborative

teaching method. The findings identifying the sources of difficulty that hinder to poor

result of students in physics subject and the intervention through collaborative teaching

method would help in improving students result better than the traditional method of

teaching.
Key words: Collaborative Teaching Methods, Physics Subject, Sabian Secondary and

Preparatory School, Teaching Methods, and Traditional Teaching Method. 3

Introduction

Physics is a fundamental science related to the principles of the universe which

is the basis for other physical sciences. Teaching science to young students is a

challenging task for teachers because the subject has to be very interesting.

Unless it's motivated to "do science" to learn science, it will be a holistic activity

for the student. Because the world is changing, the teacher has to make changes

in science education (Wang, 2005).

According to Doug, (2010) Physics is a subject of the lowest popular science

among students in general, in a study on why high school students in the United

Kingdom are not interested in studying physics, the main reason students offer
is because they understand physics is a difficult / serious subject (Williams,

2003) and their ability to perform physics tasks is low (Barmby and Defty, 2006;

Watson et al, 1994). Teachers agree that students learn more about things that

are difficult to understand. In addition, the student's view of a subject, influences

their understanding of the subject and the learning of it and continues to study

it. This is the main reason why students' participation in learning is their

understanding that it is interesting/boring or simple/difficult or relevant/relevant

(Gebbels et al, 2010; M.K. Smith, 2007).

However, just because physics is considered to be the most difficult subject of

science in mathematics, it is important to examine the fundamental problems

that may hinder the implementation of quality education on this subject. When

teachers are aware of these problems, they can help them to choose appropriate

and effective methods of teaching. Furthermore, the teaching method is not

sustainable; it changes the level of teacher's weight, the type of, and related

learning pressures, which will be an independent reason for further research

periodically, which is why repeated research on teaching methods will be

necessary (Williams et al, 2003).

Research on the teaching method will help to point out appropriate improvement

solutions by accurately identifying and understanding the learning weaknesses

in students, thus, adding that the research in this regard is very useful for 5

implementing the teaching process by identifying teaching methods which are

encouraged to be used by teachers ( Lavonen et al, 2005).

Statement of the Problem

Learning is critically associated with the classroom and it is often more

competitive in nature. The contents of the lesson and the method of teaching are

very important so that the student can master the knowledge-based via drill and
practice ( Johnson et al, 1991).

Traditional teaching is concerned with the teacher being the controller of the

learning environment”. Power and responsibilities are held by the teacher and

they play the role of an instructor (in the form of lecturer) and the decision maker

as regards the content of the curriculum and its specific results. Students are

regarded as having knowledge-holes which needs to be filled with the required

and specific information. In the traditional teaching method, the teacher is seen

as the person who causes the learning process to take place (Herr, 2008).

The method adopted in teaching Physics in the classroom setting has a long way

to go in achieving the desired results. However, it is believed that collaborative

teaching method has greater advantage over the traditional teaching method in

achieving a good performance in teaching and learning of Physics at the

secondary school level (Agbele, 2020).

Research Questions

The specific research questions in this study is:

• How to resolve the poor result of students in physics subject ? 7

Objectives of the Study

The main objectives of this study is:

• To implement a collaborative teaching method to improve the result of

students in physics subject of 9th H grade students in Sabian Scondary

and Preparatory School.

The specific objectives of this study is:

• To look for solutions to improve physics result of grade 9th H students

of Sabian Scondary and Preparatory School.

Limitation of the Study

This study had some limitations and directions. First, it includes only grade 9th

H students in Sabian secondary and preparatory School and should be expanded

in public and private secondary schools in other regions of the country. Second,

it was limited with 3 Likert scales: 1 (agree) to 2 (disagree), and 3 (neutral). In

order to provide consistent responses which measure the structure of this study.

Significance of the Study

This research study is significant to the the following points:

• It provides sufficient information as a method of teaching taken in

physics class in high schools,

• The study would be of great benefit to the students in terms of;

interdependence, individual accountability, group processing as well as

face-to-face primitive interaction, and

• It would be of great advantage to the teachers in determining the

appropriate teaching techniques to be adopted in improving result of the 9students.

Methodology

Research design

This study is an action research aimed at improving students result in physics

subject through a collaborative teaching method at Dire Dawa Sabian Seconsary

and Preparatory School specifically to grade 9th H student. According to McNiff

& Whitehead (2002), the general characterization of action research approaches

are; planning, acting, observing and reflecting.

Source of Data

The research resource required for the study collected from both primary and

secondary data at Sabian Secondary and Preparatory School specifically from

grade 9thH students in 2015 E.C. The Primary data collected from questionaire

whereas the secondary data collected from the first and second semester results

of the selected students. Closed and open questionnaires inquiries were used to

make this research accurate and appropriate. The questionnaires were presented

to 9thH students and all the 12 Physics Teachers of the school. The information

collected through self-administered questionnaires and distributed personally to

the subjects by the Team of researchers of the school.

Sampling Technique

The most common sampling techniques to select respondents are simple random

and purposive sampling methods. Simple random sampling involve in giving a

number to every respondents in the accessible population, placing the numbers

in a container and then picking any number at random whereas purposive

sampling is a technique that allows using cases that have required information
with respect to the objectives of one’s study (Mugenda and Mugenda, 2003).

From the total number of 54 students in the class, only 36 (18 male and 18

female) students who were always present in the class selected for this study 11using purposive
sampling technique.

Data Collection Instrument

The overall part of the study is from Sabian Secondary and Preparatory School

specifically to grade 9th H students in 2015 E.C. In this study, the questionnaires

were designed with the intention to find the cause of the poor result of students

in Physics subject. The questionnaire consists of six closed ended (3 for teachers

& 3 for students) and four open ended (2 for teachers & 2 for students). A

questionnaires were developed by the researchers. The questionnaire has two

parts: Background Information. Students Teachers Information in part I, and

open & closed ended enquiry in part II.

Data Collection Procedures

Firstly, the researcher obtained approval from the school’s Director in

administering the questionnaires to the identified students.Then with the

permission of the physics Teacher, the researcher enter the class and gave the

questionnaires to the students. The researchers explained the purposes of the

study and ensure the confidentiality of the responses. Then the researchers

conduct a briefing to the students on how to answer the questionnaires and assist

them if they have problems in understanding the questions. Students were

expected to complete the questionnaires in 20 minutes. In the intervention part,

the researchers seek an approval first from the principal to conduct a this

research. On the other hand, the researchers administer a set of questionnaires

for the students before the implementation of the intervention program on the

evaluation of its effectiveness.

Research Objects and Subjects

This research was carried out at Dire Dawa Education Bureau Sabian Secondary

and Preparatory School on grade 9thH students which was carried out in the 2nd

semester of the 2015 E.C. academic year. The research subjects were students

of grade 9th H, with the first reason of being poor result in physics subject.

The objects in this research are the various activities that occur during the

teaching-learning process which consists of: Selection of the teaching methods 13and the
implementation of the chosen teaching method, the learning atmosphere

during the teaching-learning process, student participation in the learning

process, and the results of the learning process.

Intervention design

During the first semester the method of teaching physics applied on the students

was Traditional teaching method. For most of the teachers, it is the preferred

way to teach and learn science. The mean score result using this method of
teaching was poor, which is 56.4.

The researchers first desined the questionaires (3 closed and 2 open ended) for

both students and teachers which were helpful in finding the cause of poor result

in Physics subject. Then, after gathering information responded by the teacher

and students, the cause of this problem was identified out. In order to help

students to improve upon their result in physics subject, the researchers desined

a new method of teaching called collaborative implemented to the selected

students of grade 9th H.

Analysis of the Data

The data was organized and analyzed using a 3-point Likert scales. It was sorted

and entered using SPSS software for analysis of the study. Analysis of data

performed by descriptive method. Descriptive method of analysis applied to

information obtained from questionnaires and first and second semester final

results. Inaddition, T-test was also used for the data analysis of students final

results in the two semester. The T-test results were evaluated at p < 0.05 15significant level.