Effect of Using Multiple Assessment Techniques on Chemistry Students' Performance in Problem Solving

Studies have shown that most Nigerian secondary school chemistry students have difficulty solving problems involving mole and stoichiometric calculations. The study was carried out to find out the effect of using multiple assessment techniques on secondary school chemistry students' performance in problem solving. The pretest-posttest-control group design was employed. Two instruments were developed, validated and used. They were: the chemistry achievement test (CAT, r = 0.80) and the mole and stoichiometry problem solving test (MASPST, r = 0.87). Eighty eight male and female students were randomly sampled from four secondary schools in Mangu LGA of Plateau state and randomly assigned into control and experimental groups. They were pre tested using the MASPST and instructed for four weeks, covering the mole concept and stoichiometry (including volumetric analysis). Students in the experimental  group were treated with a set of classwork, take home assignment, group assignment and written test every week but those in the control were only given an end of month test. At the end of the four weeks, both groups were post-tested using the MASPST and the scores analyzed using t-test (á = 0.05). The results of the MASPST show a significant difference between the mean scores of students in the control and those in the experimental group (in favor of the experimental group). The result also show a significant difference in the mean scores of male and female students taught in the experimental group. The study concluded that the use of multiple assessment techniques improves chemistry students' problem solving ability. It therefore recommended that chemistry teachers employ varieties of assessment techniques as part of instructional strategies to teach students problem solving in chemistry.