Thesis Abstract

<p> The study was designed to find out the effect of selected games on pupils’ achievement in<br>reading. The study adopted a non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental design in which<br>three research questions were posed and three null hypotheses tested. The population of the study<br>comprised of 4,850 primary 2 pupils in the 29 primary schools in Oshimili South Local<br>Government Area of Delta State. A total number of 60 (boys and girls) primary two pupils were<br>randomly sampled from two primary schools in Asaba. A structured questionnaire titled “Word<br>Recognition Achievement Test (WORAT)” was developed by the researcher which guided the<br>study. The reliability of the instrument was determined, using K-R 20 (Kudar Richardson). This<br>gave an overall score of 0.76. The regular classroom teachers in the schools sampled were used<br>as research assistants. The schools were purposively assigned to the experimental and control<br>groups. The three research questions were analyzed using mean and Standard Deviation, while<br>Analysis of Variance was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. An<br>overview of the overall results showed that pupils taught using games teaching method obtained<br>a higher mean achievement score than those taught with conventional method, female pupils in<br>the experimental group had a higher mean achievement scores than their male counterparts,<br>though the differences was not statically significant and that gender has a significant effect on<br>the mean achievement scores of pupils exposed to games and conventional teaching methods.<br>Based on the findings of the study, the researcher recommends among others that; teacher<br>preparation institutions should incorporate games teaching method in the relevant areas of their<br>curriculums units and expose both pre-service and in service teachers to the use of game reading<br>methods to enhance teaching and learning. Judging from the findings of the study, limitations of<br>the study were identified and suggestions for further studies were made.<br>x <br></p>

Thesis Overview

<p> </p><p><strong>INTRODUCTION</strong></p><p><strong>Background of the Study</strong></p><p>Education is an instrument “per excellence” for effecting National<br>development. This statement indicates the importance of Education to every<br>Nigerian citizen, which begins at the primary level of education. This is the<br>bedrock of education. Primary education is the Education for children aged six to<br>eleven plus. This level of education has among its goals, the inculcation of<br>permanent literacy and numeracy and the ability to communicate effectively<br>(Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004;14). At this level of education, the medium of<br>communication is the language of the immediate environment. Ogbuchi, (2003),<br>sees language as the expression of idea by means of speech sounds combined into<br>sentences, and its combination leading to ideas and thoughts. She goes further to<br>describe it as a process that an idea passes through before meaning is achieved<br>while Trager (2001), describes language as a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by<br>means of which a social group co-operates. Language therefore can be defined as<br>a means of expressing thoughts and ideas between two or more persons.<br>Language has been a major factor for learning in Nigerian. The National<br>Policy on Education (FRN, 2004), recommended L1 and L2 as the language of<br>instruction for both the lower and upper primary school level. Manuel (1998),<br>claims, that for children to be able to understand, critique and learn from<br>1<br>1<br>spoken information, which is as necessary as the ability to read and write with</p> <br><p></p>