The Impact of Dalton Instructional Model and Reciprocal Peer Tutoring on Students' Interest and Academic Performance in Basic Science Within the Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68050/JAMS.2026.452Keywords:
Dalton Instructional Model, Reciprocal Peer-Tutoring, Basic Science, student engagement, academic success, learner-centered instructionAbstract
This research examined the effects of the Dalton Instructional Model and Reciprocal Peer-Tutoring on students' interest and academic performance in Basic Science in the Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The study was motivated by concerns over students' disinterest and low academic achievement in Basic Science, emphasizing the need for more engaging teaching strategies. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design was employed. The total population consisted of 13,200 students, from which a sample of 388 was selected. Schools were chosen using both cluster sampling and simple random sampling methods. Three groups were established: one utilizing the Dalton Instructional Model (130 students), another practicing Reciprocal Peer-Tutoring (129 students), and a conventional teaching group (129 students). Data collection was carried out using two instruments: The Basic Science Interest Inventory (BSII) and the Basic Science Performance Test (BSPT), both validated by experts and confirmed for reliability through appropriate internal consistency measures. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the research questions, while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was applied to test the null hypotheses at a significance level of 0.05. The results revealed that the Dalton group experienced an increase in interest from a pretest mean of 2.31 to a posttest mean of 3.72, the Reciprocal Peer-Tutoring group improved from 2.30 to 3.67, and the conventional group rose from 2.29 to 3.08. Regarding academic performance, the Dalton group increased from 28.46 to 68.41, the Reciprocal Peer-Tutoring group from 28.61 to 70.26, and the conventional group from 28.72 to 49.37. ANCOVA results indicated significant treatment effects on both interest, F(2,384) = 85.91, p < .001, and academic performance, F(2,384) = 197.21, p < .001. The study concluded that both the Dalton Instructional Model and Reciprocal Peer-Tutoring were effective in enhancing students' interest and performance in Basic Sciece. It was recommended that Basic Science teachers should incorporate learner-centered and collaborative teaching strategies into their classroom practices.
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