Nurturing Creative Thinking In Basic Science Among Dissimilar-Ability Basic-8 Students By Ethnoscience Teaching Strategy In Makurdi, Nigeria

Abstract

Nurturing creative thinking in Basic Science among different-ability basic-8 students by ethnoscience teaching strategy in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria was studied using a pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. A multistage sample of 40 students was drawn from a population of 1,613 basic-8 students in the 25 public Schools in Makurdi. Torrance Test of Creative Thinking adapted by the researchers was validated by two experts with a reliability coefficient of 0.9 analysed with Pearson Product Moment Correlation statistic was used for data collection. Data were analysed using mean, standard deviation and one-way ANCOVA. Findings showed significant mean difference in the creative thinking level among students taught Basic Science by ethnoscience teaching strategy and those taught by discussion method, F (1, 37) = 56.010, ρ (0.000) < 0.05. However, no significant mean difference existed in the creative thinking level among high, average and ability students taught Basic Science by ethnoscience teaching strategy, F (2, 16) = 3.085, ρ (0.74) > 0.05. In conclusion, creative thinking is not dependent on student academic ability level. The study recommended among others that ethnoscience teaching strategy should be used in teaching Basic Science for developing students’ creative thinking.