Abstract:
The study determined the effects of Group Investigation model (GIM) and jurisprudential Inquiry model (JIM) on students’ interest and achievement in voter education related contents of senior secondary school Government curriculum. It also determined the influence of gender on students’ interest and achievement in senior secondary school voter education related contents of senior secondary school Government curriculum using GIM and JIM. Six research questions and six null hypotheses guided the study. The design adopted for the study was Quasi-experimental non equivalent pre test, post test control group design. Sample for the study consisted of 165 SS II students made up of 48 males and 117 females drawn from four co-educational schools in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu state. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select both the four co-educational schools and one intact class from each of the schools that were assigned to the two experimental groups (GIM and JIM). Two instruments were used for data collection namely Multiple Choice Government Achievement Test (MCGAT) and Government Interest Inventory (GII). The instruments were face and content validated and tested for reliability. The internal consistency of MCGAT was found to be 0.89 using K-R 20 while GII was 0.81 using Cronbachs’ Alpha. Data collected were analysed using mean and standard deviation for the research questions and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used in testing the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The results showed among other things that the students taught voter- education related contents using GIM had higher mean interest scores than those exposed to JIM instructional strategy. However, the difference was not statistically significant. The students taught voter education related contents using GIM had significantly higher mean achievement scores than those exposed to JIM instructional strategy. Furthermore, male students had higher mean interest and achievement scores than their female counterparts in voter- education related contents. However the difference was not statistically significant. There was a significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on students’ mean interest in voter- education related contents. However, there was no significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on students’ mean achievement in voter- education related contents. These findings were exhaustively discussed and it was concluded that GIM is more efficacious than JIM in enhancing students’ achievement in voter- education related contents of senior secondary school Government curriculum. The implications of these findings among other things is that the application of GIM in teaching voter education related contents can enhance not only students’ interest and achievement in the subject but could also expose learners to see the need for active participation in electoral processes and system in Nigeria. It was recommended, among others things that GIM should be adopted in teaching voter education related contents in senior secondary school Government. In this regard, Government and other relevant agencies should organize conferences, workshops and seminars for teachers of Government on the skills and strategies involved in the use of Group Investigation Model.
