Published Article

ABSTRACT

This study examined the effects of problem-solving teaching competencies in the upper basic students’ academic achievement in Social Studies in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. This study adopted a quasi-experimental pretest-postest control group design with 4x2 factorial matries in which four intact classes of upper basic two students (JSS2) were taught Social Studies using problem-solving teaching competencies. A sample of 150 JSS2 students made up of 74 males and 76 females were drawn from two co-educational public schools through the use of simple random sampling technique. The study was guided by one research question and one corresponding null hypotheses. A 50-item Social Social Achievement Test (SSAT) was used to collect pre-test and post-test data for study. The data obtained were analysis of variance (MANOVA). Findings indicated that there was no statistical significant difference in achievement between the male and female students when they were taught using the problem-solving teaching competencies in Social Studies. Based on the findings it was recommended, among other things, that innovative activity-based competencies should be adopted in secondary schools especially in teaching and learning of Social Studies at the upper basic education level.

KEYWORDS:            Problem-solving, Competences, Social Studies, Academic Achievement and Upper Basic Education