Abstract:
This study investigated the effects of Concept Mapping on Students’ achievement and Interest in selected concept from Organic Chemistry. It also examined the achievement and interest on both male and female students. Four (4) research questions and four (4) hypotheses guided the study. The study was a non- equivalent pre-test post-test control group quasi – experimental design involving one treatment and on control groups. The sample for the study consisted of about 240 SS II Chemistry students drawn from four out of eight government area of Enugu Education Zone. The intact classes were randomly selected and assigned experimental and control groups. Two instruments, Organic Chemistry achievement Test (OCAT) and Organic Chemistry Interest Scale (OCIS) developed by the research were used for data collection. The items of these instruments were also subjected to face and content validation. The reliability of the instruments was established using Kudar-Richarson formula 20 and Cronbach’s Alpha respectively. The reliability co-efficient obtained were 0.53 and 0.89 respectively. Concept maps on Alkanoic Acids and Alkanoates (Esters) and notes of lessons were used for classroom instruction for the experimental group, while the control groups, only the notes of lesson were used. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviations, while the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using 2-way (2x2) Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results from the study among others showed that: i Concept mapping methods have statistically significant effect on students’ Achievement in Organic Chemistry. ii Concept Mapping has statistically significant effect on Students’ interest In Organic Chemistry. Iii Concept Mapping has statistically significant effect on Male and Female Students’ achievement in Organic Chemistry concept in favour of male. iv Concept Mapping do not have statistically significant effect on Male and Female interest in Organic Chemistry. The Educational implications of the finding were extensively discussed. Based on the findings some recommendations and suggestions for further research were made.
