Comparing the Effects of Futures-Wheel and Story-Telling Methods of Teaching on Students’ Achievements in History in Sapele Education Zone, Delta State

Abstract

This study was comparing the effects of futures-wheel and story-telling methods of teaching on students’ achievements in History. Quasi-experimental design involving non-equivalent pre-test, post-test, control and experimental groups was adopted. The research was carried out in Sapele Education Zone of Delta State, purposefully to verify the more effective teaching method for catalyzing students’ achievement in History. Two research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. Population of the study was 450 SS1-3 students with sample size of 120 SS1 students, (50 male/70 female) students drawn from the only three schools that were taught History as at research time. Procedurally, two intact-classes were sampled by simple division of the students for the study. One class for control group taught with story-telling method and another class for experimental group taught with futures-wheel method. Data were collected using History Achievement Test (HAT). Research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation, while hypotheses were tested with ANCOVA. Major results revealed that students taught with futures-wheel method showed higher achievement in History than those taught with story-telling method. The study revealed that females achieved higher than males in History subject. Findings also showed that futures-wheel is a novel innovative method that can motivate and sustain students’ achievements in studying History as well as prevent History from going into extinction in secondary schools, because studying History catalyzes national unity and development. Findings showed that futures-wheel can mid-wife knowledge and motivate students to brainstorm, think critically, perceive insights about problems and proffer solutions. Implication entails that if futures-wheel method is continually used in teaching History, many students will develop high achievements in History subject and it will prevent the subject from dying-out from secondary schools. Conclusively, it was recommended that futures-wheel method should be used to teach History because it can make students to achieve higher in History than story-telling method.