Effect of Socratic Seminar Strategy on Academic Performance of Basic Science Students in Makurdi Metropolis

The study investigated the Effect of Socratic seminar strategy on academic performance of Basic Science students in Makurdi metropolis.The study raised and answered two research questions and two hypotheses formulated and tested at 0.05 α-level.A pre-test, post-test non-equivalent quasi-experimental research design was adopted.The population comprised 1,613 Basic 8 students across 25 government-approved secondary schools, from which a sample of 60 students.The instrument for data collection was the Basic Science Performance Test (BSPT), and was validated by two experts the reliability coefficient of the instrument was determined using the Kuder-Richardson Formula 21 (KR-21), which yielded a coefficient of 0.94, indicating high internal consistency.Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, to answer research questions, Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance.Findings revealed that students taught using the Socratic Seminar strategy achieved significantly higher academic performance than those taught using the lecture method, with a mean gain of 9.97 compared to 1.90 for the lecture group.ANCOVA results showed a statistically significant difference in favour of the Socratic Seminar strategy, F(1,57) = 194.522,p < .05,with a large effect size (partial η² = .773).The study also found no significant difference in academic performance between male and female students taught using the Socratic Seminar strategy, F(1,27) = 2.044, p > .05,indicating that gender had minimal influence.Based on the findings it was concluded that the Socratic Seminar strategy is highly effective in improving students' academic performance in Basic Science and is gender-inclusive in its impact.Therefore Socratic Seminar strategy was recommended to enhance students' academic performance.