INTERACTION EFFECT OF TREATMENT AND GENDER ON THE MOTIVATION AND ACHIEVEMENT OF JUNIOR SECONDARY TWO STUDENTS IN BASIC SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN JOS-NORTH, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated the effect of treatment and gender on the motivation and achievement of junior secondary school two (JSS II) students in Basic Science and Technology in Jos-North, Plateau State, Nigeria. Two objectives, two research questions, and two hypotheses guided the study. The sample for the study was 72 students, drawn from two schools. One school had 32 students (representing the control group), and the second school had 40 students (used as the experimental group). The instruments for data collection were the Basic Science and Technology Motivation Questionnaire (BSTMQ) and Basic Science and Technology Achievement Test (BSTAT). Mean and standard deviation were used to analyze data for answering the research questions. ANCOVA was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that there was no significant effect of gender on motivation of students towards Basic Science and Technology after exposure to treatment, since the effect size was very small. There was significant main effect for groups, suggesting that the treatment significantly influenced students’ motivation. Findings also indicated a significant difference in achievement mean scores between the experimental group and the control group. That is, students in the experimental group achieved significantly better in Basic Science and Technology than those in the control group. However, there was no significant effect of gender on the academic achievement of students in Basic Science and Technology after the treatment. The study recommended among others that although no significant gender differences were found in motivation and achievement, teachers should still consider the slight variation in motivation levels between male and female students, providing additional support where necessary, and educational interventions in Basic Science and Technology should be designed to be gender-neutral, ensuring equal opportunities for both male and female students: