Teaching strategies and secondary school physics students’ enrolment and academic attainment in Rivers State, Nigeria: implications for teaching and learning of physics in schools

This paper examines the teaching strategies commonly employed by physics teachers in the classroom. Particularly, the study utilized mixed methods involving questionnaires, tests, classroom observations and structured interviews to explore the common teaching strategies used by teachers and the effects of these strategies both on the enrollment and attainment of students in physics. Teachers and students in eight senior secondary schools were purposively selected for the study. Findings from the study show that teachers and students were at variance as to the most commonly used teaching strategy by teachers in the teaching and learning of physics and that whereas teachers reported the use of demonstration, more students reported that elements of demonstration were ‘never’ used by teachers than those who reported otherwise. The study also shows that the teaching strategy adopted by physics teachers directly influences the enrolment and attainment of students in the subject. The study recommends that government and relevant stakeholders should ensure the adequate provision of well-equipped laboratories and that science teacher training institutions promote trainee-teachers skill and knowledge in improvisation and resourcing of science materials for the effective teaching and learning of physics in secondary schools.