Enhancing senior secondary school students’ content knowledge and reflective thinking in genetics concepts using socioscientific issue-based strategy

Abstract

This study determined the effect of Socioscientific Issue–based Strategy and Scientific Reasoning Ability (SRA) on students’ content knowledge and reflective thinking in senior secondary school (SS) genetics concepts (GC) in biology in Oyo State, Nigeria. The pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental design was used. 140 SS two students participated. Data were analysed using analysis of covariance at p0.05. Treatment had a significant main effect on student’ knowledge (F(1;339)=16.96; partial η2=0.07) and reflective thinking (F(1;339)=10.17; partial η2=0.04) in GC. SRA had a significant main effect on students’ knowledge (F(2;338)=4.84; partial η2=0.04) and reflective thinking in GC (F(2;338)=5.01; partial η2=0.04). Socioscientific issue-based strategy improved students’ learning outcomes in senior secondary school genetics concepts.