Impact of Heuristic Approach on Students’ Academic Achievement and Retention in Map Reading and Interpretation Among Secondary Schools, Municipal Zones, Kano-Nigeria

Abstract

This study explores the impact of employing a heuristic approach on students’ academic achievement and retention in geography education. The sample consisted of 235 SS II students enrolled in public secondary schools in the Municipal Education Zone, Kano, Nigeria. The study utilized a quasi-experimental design, with two schools assigned to the experimental group (heuristic approach) and two schools assigned to the control group (lecture method). The Geography Achievement Test (GAT) was used as the data collection instrument. ANCOVA was used to test the hypothesis using SPSS and the findings revealed a significant difference in the mean academic achievements between students taught geography concepts using the heuristic approach and those taught using the lecture method. The experimental group exhibited higher academic achievement compared to the control group, indicating that the use of the heuristic approach enhances students’ understanding and performance in geography. Also, there was a significant difference in the mean retention scores of male and female students when taught geography using the heuristic approach. Female students achieved higher retention scores than their male counterparts, suggesting that the heuristic approach is particularly effective in facilitating knowledge retention for female students in geography education. Based on the findings, it is recommended that educators and curriculum developers incorporate the heuristic approach into teaching methods for geography concepts. Training programs and workshops can be conducted to familiarize teachers with effective strategies for implementing the heuristic approach in their lessons.