EFFECTS OF GUIDED DISCOVERY AND DEMONSTRATION METHODS OF TEACHING ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study was prompted by consistent poor performance in recent senior secondary school certificate financial accounting examinations. The study sought to find the effects of Guided Discovery and Demonstration methods of teaching on the academic performance of secondary school students in Financial Accounting in Benue State, Nigeria. The study population comprised one thousand six hundred and sixteen (1,616) SS 2 STUDENTS (786 male and 830 female). The sample size was one hundred and forty-four (144) respondents comprised seventy-two (72) male and seventy-two (72) female. The study adopted pre-test and post-test. The study involved S.S 2 students in three intact classes of the three selected secondary schools in Benue State. Criterion and purposive sampling techniques were used to select the sample. The study had three objectives, three research questions and three hypotheses. Self-developed Financial Accounting Performance Test (FAPT) and Financial Accounting Evaluation Test (FAET) were the instruments used for data collection. The Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while t-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that students performed better in financial accounting when guided discovery and demonstration methods of teaching were used than the lecture method. Based on the findings, it was recommended that through seminars, workshops and conferences, serving financial accounting teachers should be sensitized and encouraged to adopt guided discovery and demonstration methods in teaching financial accounting lessons more regularly.