Abstract:

This study investigated the effect of problem solving teaching strategy on Biology students’ acquisition of science process skills and critical thinking in secondary schools in Taraba State, Nigeria. The study was guided by two research questions and two hypotheses were tested. This study adopted the quasi-experimental research design. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 48 senior secondary one (SS I) Biology students from two intact classes in rural schools in Takum, Taraba State, Nigeria. One intact class was assigned into problem solving teaching strategy and the other intact class was assigned into the convention discussion method. Science Process Skills Acquisition Test (SPSAT) and Critical Thinking Test (CTT) were used for data collection. Data collected were analysed using Mean and Standard Deviation to answer the research questions. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used for testing the hypothesis at 0.05 significance level. The finding indicates that there is a significant difference between the science process skill acquisition scores of students taught Biology using problem solving teaching strategy and those taught using the conventional discussion method. Finding further reveals that there is also significant difference between the mean critical thinking scores of students taught Biology using problem solving teaching strategy and those taught using the conventional discussion method. The researcher concluded that problem solving teaching strategy is more effective in enhancing science process skills acquisition and critical thinking ability than the conventional discussion method. It was recommended that Biology teachers should employ the use of problem solving teaching strategy to ensure that students acquire the necessary science process skills and critical thinking ability and that Ministry of Education should organize workshops or conferences to build the capacity of in service teachers on the use of problem solving teaching strategy and other innovative teaching strategies.

Keywords:

Effect, Problem Solving Teaching Strategy, Acquisition, Science Process Skills, Critical Thinking, Biology Students.