Cooperative Learning and Biology Students’ Acquisition of Higher Order Thinking Skills in Secondary Schools in Buea, Cameroon
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jsshrs/V2E7/2026-12Keywords:
Cooperative learning, think-pair-share, group investigation, Higher order thinking skillsAbstract
This study aimed at investigating cooperative learning and biology students' acquisition of higher order thinking skills (HOTS) in secondary schools in Buea, Cameroon. Two specific objectives were formulated: to find out the effect of teacher's use of think-pair-share on biology students' acquisition of higher order thinking skills in secondary schools in Buea and to find out the effect of teacher's use of group Investigations on biology students' acquisition of higher order thinking skill in secondary schools in Buea. Both objectives were transformed into research questions and then into research hypotheses to be tested. The Study made use of a quasi-experimental research design. An observation checklist was used as the instrument for data collection. The study targeted 2,510 students in 10 high schools in Buea. 160 form four students of Government High School (GHS) Bokwango and GHS Great Soppo were sampled. The independent T-test statistic was used to test all the two null hypotheses stated at p≤ 0.05 level of significance. Findings from the analysis of the quasi-experiment revealed a significant difference between the academic performance of students taught biology using the cooperative learning method and those taught using traditional lecture method. Findings obtained from the observation checklist revealed that think-pair-share and group investigation have a significant positive effect on the development of biology students’ HOTS in secondary schools in Buea. Based on these findings, it was recommended that teachers should adopt the cooperating learning method in enhancing biology students’ HOTS development in secondary school in Buea.
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