Available online: http://saspjournals.com/sjahss 2031 Scholars Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences ISSN 2347-5374(Online) Abbreviated Key Title: Sch. J. Arts Humanit. Soc. Sci. ISSN 2347-9493(Print) ©Scholars Academic and Scientific Publishers (SAS Publishers) A Unit of Scholars Academic and Scientific Society, India Effect of Constructivist-Based Learning Strategies on Students’ Interest in Junior Secondary Social Studies Concepts in Nsukka Education Zone UGWU, Ndidiamaka Patience 1* , EZE, Anastasia Ukamaka 2 1 Department of Arts and Social Science Education Godfrey Okoye University Enugu, Nigeria 2 Department of Arts and Social Science Education, Godfrey Okoye University Enugu, Nigeria *Corresponding author UGWU, Ndidiamaka Patience Article History Received: 12.10.2018 Accepted: 23.10.2018 Published: 30.10.2018 DOI: 10.21276/sjahss.2018.6.10.19 Abstract: This study examines the effect of constructivist-based learning strategies on student’s interest in junior secondary social studies concepts in Nsukka education zone. A quasi-experimental research design was used. The population of this study consists of all the junior secondary co-education school students (4182) of Nsukka Education Zone of Enugu State. A sample of 260 students was drawn. The instruments developed for these studies were Social Studies Interest Inventory (SSII). The data obtained were analyzed using means and standard deviation to answer the research questions. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using analysis of covariate (ANCOVA). The reliability of SSII was determined using KR- 20 reliability method. The internal consistency of SSII was ascertained using Cronbach alpha procedure. The result of the analyses indicated that the effect of treatment and gender was not a significant factor in students’ interest in Social Studies. Students taught using constructivist-based learning strategies performed significantly better than their counterparts who were taught using lecture method in SSII. Based on the findings above, it can be concluded that Constructivist Approach is an effective strategy to make students interested in studying social studies. Keywords: Constructivist-based learning strategies, Students’ interest, Junior secondary, Social studies. Concepts. INTRODUCTION Interest is as an individual’s predisposition in a particular context [1, 2]. That is, it provides the competence to carry out activities using one’s skill, which enables him/her to perform effectively. Interest has to do with what an individual has acquired from a specific study in a given instructional sequence. Interest level of learners is one personality characteristic that influences students’ academic achievement [4]. According to Eze [4], heterogeneity of this interest in the classroom is a common phenomenon. The low academic interest in social studies has been labeled on different reasons. Teachers are one of the key elements in schools and effective teaching is one of the key propellers for student improvement. Teaching effectiveness is dependent upon the interaction between the instruction, subject-matter, knowledge and teaching (pedagogical/methods) ability [5]. This means for a proper learning to take place the teacher need to employ different method, strategies or techniques for smooth flow of learning. Different methods are used in teaching Social Studies. According to Adetoro [6] it ranges from lecture and demonstration methods are content driven and certainly not learner- centered. These methods are teacher centered which are based on behavioural learning theories and not learner centered they are based on cognitive psychological learning theories. These methods which are predominantly used in Social Studies in the junior secondary schools according to Boyle, Duffy & Dunleavy [7], emphasize knowledge transmission from the teacher to passive students and encourage rote memorization of facts. The consequence of the use of non-constructivist strategy in teaching social studies in the junior secondary schools is that students are unable to retain their learning and apply it to new situation and may also account for poor performance of Social Studies students in both internal and external examination and the high level of social problems in the society [8]. The Federal Government of Nigeria have tried in different ways so as to reduce the rate of social problems in our society for proper attainment of the objectives of Social Studies in Nigeria through the introduction of Civic Education into the educational curriculum so as deal with some of those sensitive issues (examples are kidnapping, examination malpractices, raping etc.) and also the introduction of Information Communication Technology as a strategy of teaching thereby making the teachers going for training and retraining so as to adapt to the new strategy. In this vain, Egwu [9] stressed out the main