Online-ISSN 2411-2933, Print-ISSN 2411-3123 August 2015
International Educative Research Foundation and Publisher © 2013 pg. 56
Development and Validation of a Hybrid Active Learning Strategy for Teaching
Direct Current Electricity Concepts for Secondary Schools in Nigeria
Uche Connie Ofodile
Federal Education Quality Assurance Services,
Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja, Nigeria.
E-mail: uchedile16@yahoo.com
Mangut Mankilik
Department of Science and Technology Education,
University of Jos,
Jos, Nigeria.
E-mail: mankilikmangut@yahoo.com
Abstract
The study was carried out to develop and validate a Hybrid Active Learning Strategy (HALS) for teaching direct
current electricity concepts (DCEC) in physics for secondary schools in Nigeria. The relevant literature reviewed
revealed that the inappropriate use of relevant teaching strategies and the non-use of modern innovative
technology in the teaching of physics result in lack of better understanding of concepts and hence, the poor
performance of students in physics. In view of this, the HALS package which is a combination of active learning
strategies including computer simulation was developed to help teachers to be more effective and students to
understand DCEC concepts better. The developmental platform for the package is Microsoft visual basic 6.
Other applications used during the design process include Adobe (macromedia) Director, Flash 8, Fireworks
and Flash Player for animation, construction and display. The validation of HALS Package was done applying:
subject content validation, computer expert validation, educational technology expert validation, personalized
validation and group validation. The HALS package is generally perceived as very educative, comprehensive,
adequate, relevant, user friendly and loaded with a lot of ingenuity.
Keywords: Hybrid Active Learning Strategy (HALS); Direct Current Electricity Concepts (DCEC);
Development; Validation; Secondary School; Simulation.
Introduction
Physics generates the fundamental knowledge needed for the future technological advancement of any nation.
Physics is both significant and influential, as advances in its understanding have often translated into new
technologies which have dramatically transformed modern-day society. Such technologies include; television,
computers, mobile phones, iPods, medical imaging system, fibre-optics and a host of other devices and systems
that make use of basic direct current electricity principles. Thus physics is one of the core science courses
offered at the senior secondary school level as stated in the National Policy on Education (FRN, 2004) and it
forms the basis of the nation’s advancement and human resource development (Abubakar, 2012). In realisation
of the importance of science and technology, especially physics, the Nigerian government has taken a number
of steps towards its improvement. These steps include the launching of two space satellite systems, the
NigerSAT and the NIGCOMSAT in 2011. The NigerSAT focuses on weather observations while the
NIGCOMSAT focuses on telecommunications. Also, the implementation of the Science and Technology
Education Post Basic (STEP-B) project with support from the World Bank focuses on the production of more