Effect of Task-Based Learning on Secondary Students’ Academic Achievement and Interest in English Language Learning in Anambra State

Abstract

This research investigated the effect of task-based learning on students’ academic achievement and interest in English language learning in senior secondary schools in Anambra State. Four research questions guided the study while four null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study employed quasi-experimental design. Specifically, the pre-test /post-test non-equivalent control group design. The population of the study consisted of 1182 senior secondary school two students from theeight public secondary schools in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria. The sample size for this study comprised 90 SS2 students in Nnewi North Local Government Area. The multi-stage sampling technique was adopted. The instrument used for data collection was the English Language Achievement Test (ELAT) and the English Language Interest Scale (ELIS). Kudar-Richardson 20 (KR-20) was used to check the internal consistency of ELAT items with dichotomous choices, which yielded reliability co-efficient of .81. While Cronbach Alpha was used to determine the internal consistency of the ELIS; it yielded co-efficient 0.77. Mean and standard deviation was used to answer the research questions while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed that the mean interest and achievement scores of students taught English Language with task-based learning method are higher than those taught using the direct teaching method; these were also significant. The finding also revealed that the mean achievement scores of male students taught using the task-based teaching method are higher than those of their female counterparts taught using the same method. Finally, there is no significant difference in the mean interest scores of male and female students in English language taught with the task-based learning Method. Based on the findings, it was recommended, among other things, that English language learning should adopt the use of TBL in teaching English Language so as to help improve the interest and achievement of students in English language.