2026 · Journal of Research in Education and Pedagogy.
Michael Atibilla Akooba, George Oduro-Okyireh, Isaac Owusu-Mensah
The study examined the formative assessment strategies senior high school physics teachers in selected districts of the Ashanti Region practice in their classrooms. Using a descriptive survey design, the study purposively selected 108 physics teachers from 36 senior high schools across nine districts. Data were collected through a 21-item closed-ended questionnaire and an observation guide. Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, and percentage were used to analyse the research question, while an independent samples t-test was used to test the hypothesis at a significance level of (α = 0.05). The results revealed that physics teachers in the Ashanti Region employ diverse formative assessment strategies to support students’ learning. These include clarifying learning objectives, providing timely feedback, using varied assessment tasks, and offering suggestions for improvement. However, peer and self-assessment practices were found to be infrequently implemented. Furthermore, the study established a statistically significant difference between more experienced teachers (those with at least five years of service) and less experienced teachers (serving less than five years), with the former employing diverse formative assessment strategies. The findings suggest that teaching experience enhances teachers’ ability to apply varied formative assessment approaches effectively. The recommendation for this study suggests that the Ghana Education Service should organize professional development programmes focused on formative assessment practices for less experienced teachers to strengthen their classroom assessment literacy and improve instructional quality. The study enhances the comprehension of subject-specific formative assessment practices and underscores the need for continuous professional learning to promote effective physics teaching and learning in senior high schools.
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DOI: 10.70232/jrep.v3i3.1812026 · Journal of Research in Education and Pedagogy.
Mustapha Issahaku, George Oduro-Okyireh, Isaac Owusu-Mensah
Recurring challenges in the physics practical performance of Ghanaian Senior High School (SHS) students, particularly in basic experiments like the simple pendulum, warrant fresh pedagogical approaches. Differentiated Instruction (DI), which tailors instruction to different learner needs, is a promising yet unexplored strategy in this context. This study aimed to establish the learning needs of selected SHS students in performing the simple pendulum experiment and pinpoint some DI strategies that enhance their practical performance. A quasi-experimental design was employed involving 160 Form 2 physics students (97 males and 63 females) drawn from two intact classes in two senior high schools in Ghana. A structured questionnaire manifested significant learning issues: 78.7% of the students lacked a clear conceptualisation of the relationship between pendulum length and period, with recording time (28.8%), graphing results (24.4%), and period calculation (23.8%) being primary issues. Furthermore, 53.1% felt uneasy with mathematical equations, and 79.4% lacked confidence to conduct the experiment individually. The experimental group (n=80) received a four-week DI intervention. Regression analysis of post-intervention data indicated five DI strategies that predicted improved performance: hands-on experimentation (β = 0.449, p < .000), teacher modification of learning styles (β = 0.192, p = .018), decreased complexity of lessons (β = 0.175, p = .022), students feeling comfortable demonstrating knowledge via experiments (β = 0.157, p = .025), and offering choices for assignments (β = 0.177, p = .016). A Mann–Whitney U test revealed that the DI group achieved significantly higher post-test scores compared to the control group (U = 3193.50, Z = –0.023, p = .982), with a medium-to-large effect size (r = .41). The study concludes that senior high school students exhibit diverse learning needs in physics practicals, which can be effectively addressed through adaptable and flexible differentiated instructional approaches. It recommends integrating these evidence-based interventions into teacher education and curriculum design to improve physics practical performance.
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DOI: 10.70232/jrep.v3i2.1602025 · Journal of Research in Education and Pedagogy.
Kenneth Darko Ateko, Isaac Owusu-Mensah, George Oduro-Okyireh
In this study, the effects of 5E Instructional Model (5E), Differentiated Instruction (DI) and conventional teaching method on Senior High School (SHS) physics students’ academic performance in Thermal Physics were compared. Method: By employing a quasi-experimental pretest/posttest non-equivalent control group design, 291 SHS 2 physics students were used from six intact classes which were randomly selected from three SHSs in the Mampong Municipality and Sekyere South District. The hypotheses were tested using one-way ANCOVA and two-way ANCOVA at α=0.05. The results showed that there was a significant effect of at least one of the teaching methods on the academic performance of students (F(1,287)=150.766, p=0.001<0.05), with students taught using DI obtaining the highest adjusted mean scores of 18.978 (std. error = 0.437), followed by those taught using 5E group (adjusted mean = 16.373, std. error=0.430), and those taught using the conventional teaching method (adjusted mean score = 13.734, std. error = 0.452). Also, there was a significant interaction between gender and teaching method (F(1,284)=241.395, p=0.001<0.05) with no significant difference observed between male and female students taught using DI (mean difference=0.233, p=0.765) and 5E (mean difference=0.75, p=0.532), but a significant difference in academic performance between male and female SHS students taught using conventional teaching method (mean difference=8.284, p=0.000). It was therefore recommended, amongst others, that SHS physics teachers in Mampong Municipality and Sekyere South District should consider differentiating their students in order to tailor Thermal Physics lessons to all students, which will help them perform better.
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DOI: 10.70232/jrep.v2i1.22