ABSTRACT
The study was designed to find out the effect of selected games on pupils’ achievement in
reading. The study adopted a non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental design in which
three research questions were posed and three null hypotheses tested. The population of the study
comprised of 4,850 primary 2 pupils in the 29 primary schools in Oshimili South Local
Government Area of Delta State. A total number of 60 (boys and girls) primary two pupils were
randomly sampled from two primary schools in Asaba. A structured questionnaire titled “Word
Recognition Achievement Test (WORAT)” was developed by the researcher which guided the
study. The reliability of the instrument was determined, using K-R 20 (Kudar Richardson). This
gave an overall score of 0.76. The regular classroom teachers in the schools sampled were used
as research assistants. The schools were purposively assigned to the experimental and control
groups. The three research questions were analyzed using mean and Standard Deviation, while
Analysis of Variance was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. An
overview of the overall results showed that pupils taught using games teaching method obtained
a higher mean achievement score than those taught with conventional method, female pupils in
the experimental group had a higher mean achievement scores than their male counterparts,
though the differences was not statically significant and that gender has a significant effect on
the mean achievement scores of pupils exposed to games and conventional teaching methods.
Based on the findings of the study, the researcher recommends among others that; teacher
preparation institutions should incorporate games teaching method in the relevant areas of their
curriculums units and expose both pre-service and in service teachers to the use of game reading
methods to enhance teaching and learning. Judging from the findings of the study, limitations of
the study were identified and suggestions for further studies were made.
x
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Education is an instrument “per excellence” for effecting National
development. This statement indicates the importance of Education to every
Nigerian citizen, which begins at the primary level of education. This is the
bedrock of education. Primary education is the Education for children aged six to
eleven plus. This level of education has among its goals, the inculcation of
permanent literacy and numeracy and the ability to communicate effectively
(Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004;14). At this level of education, the medium of
communication is the language of the immediate environment. Ogbuchi, (2003),
sees language as the expression of idea by means of speech sounds combined into
sentences, and its combination leading to ideas and thoughts. She goes further to
describe it as a process that an idea passes through before meaning is achieved
while Trager (2001), describes language as a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by
means of which a social group co-operates. Language therefore can be defined as
a means of expressing thoughts and ideas between two or more persons.
Language has been a major factor for learning in Nigerian. The National
Policy on Education (FRN, 2004), recommended L1 and L2 as the language of
instruction for both the lower and upper primary school level. Manuel (1998),
claims, that for children to be able to understand, critique and learn from
1
1
spoken information, which is as necessary as the ability to read and write with
precision on daily basis, to interact with peers, decode and interprete complex.