The Comparative Effects of Simulation Games and Brainstorming Instructional Strategies on Junior Secondary School Students’ Achievement in Social Studies in Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the comparative effects of simulation games and
brainstorming instructional strategies on Junior Secondary School Students’
achievement in Social Studies in Nigeria. The study adopted a quasiexperimental design (3 x 2 non-randomized pre-test, post-test control group) comprising three groups made up of two experimental groups and one control. Simple random sampling was employed in selecting 240 students from six selected schools comprising two arms of JSS 2. Four instruments namely: “Social Studies Achievement Test” (SSAT), “Operational Guide for Simulation Games” (OGSG), “Operational Guide on Brainstorming” (OGB) and “Operational Guide for Teacher Exposition” (OGTE) were used with reliability coefficients of 0.84, 0.76, 0.81 and 0.78 respectively. Three research hypotheses were generated and tested. Data analysis was done using mean, standard deviation, and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Results revealed that there was a significant main effect of the treatment on students’ achievement in Social Studies (F(2,233) = 159.321; P < 0.05). Findings also indicated that there was a significant main effect of gender on students’ achievement in Social Studies. (F(1.233) = 20.687; P < 0.05) and finally, results showed that there was significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on students’ achievement in Social Studies (F(2.233) = 17.644; P < 0.05). Based on the findings of the study, recommendations were made.

Key words: Simulation games, brainstorming, instructional strategies,
students’ achievement, Social Studies