Abstract

Physics is noted as one of the most difficult subjects among the science subjects taught at the junior high school level. This study, therefore, investigated the effect of experiential learning approach on students' performance, and retention of electricity and electronics concepts among selected junior high schools in the Tarkwa, Western Region of Ghana. A two-group pre-test - post-test randomized control group design, a quasi-experimental quantitative method was used to collect quantitative data from 50 students from two public junior High Schools in the Western Region of Ghana. Random sampling techniques were used to select 50 students. The Academic Achievement Test (AAT) was developed to determine students' performance in electricity and electronics and was used to collect participant data. The AAT was in the form of a pre-test, a post-test, and a delayed post-test. The reliability coefficients for the pre-test and the post-test were 0.71 and 0.78 respectively. The data was analyzed using an independent-samples t-test and a dependent-samples t-test. The findings from the study showed the experiential learning approach improved students’ conceptual understanding of electricity and electronics concepts. The findings also revealed that the experiential learning approach was effective in enhancing students’ performance in electricity and electronics. The study’s findings also indicated that female students performed better than their male counterparts with the experiential learning method. Students were able to retain the concepts due to the experiential learning approach. The study concludes that experiential learning approach with proper implementation is an effective learning paradigm that improves students’ performance and retention of electricity and electronics concepts. It is recommended that both teachers and students in the selected junior high schools within the Western region should adapt the experiential learning approach as they teach and learn physics in their respective schools.