EFFECTS OF SIMULATION GAMES AND DEMONSTRATION METHODS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS PUPILS IN BASIC SCIENCE IN YOLA SOUTH ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA: MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

The study investigated effects of simulation games and demonstration method on academic performance of primary school pupils in basic science in Adamawa state, Nigeria: management strategies. The study employed a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, involving 155 pupils selected from a total population of 3,519 using purposive sampling. The study used two (2) instruments to collect which include Basic Science Performance Test (BSPT) and Management Effectiveness Questionnaire (MEQ). The content validity of the Basic Science Performance Test (BSPT) and Management Effectiveness Questionnaire (MEQ) was done by the experts in the field of Primary Education, as well as, other expert Educational Administration and Planning, in Usmanu Danfodiyo University. A trial testing of instrument was conducted in which the questionnaires were administered to the participants that were not part of the main sample used in the study. Thereafter, the questionnaires were re-administered to same participants using inter-Rater methods of reliability and Pearson Product Moment Correlational Coefficient (PPMC) Statistical formula was for the analysis which yielded a reliability index of 0.82 for Basic Science Performance Test (BSPT) and reliability index of 0.80 for Management Effectiveness Questionnaire (MEQ). This indicated that the two instruments were found reliable for data collection. The study used descriptive statistics to answer research the questions and inferential statistics (independent t-test) to test hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS)software 20.0 version. The study found among others that simulation-games method was more effective in improving academic performance of primary school pupils in basic science compared to the demonstration method. The study recommended that there is need for Adamawa government to incorporated into the primary schools’ curriculum use of Simulation-Games Method in teaching basic science. This would guaranty steady and continuous improvement in primary school pupils’ academic performance.