Relative Effectiveness of Classroom Interaction Techniques on Students’ Participation in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study sought to identify the relative effectiveness of classroom interaction techniques on students’
participation in Government classrooms using three classroom interaction techniques. All senior secondary
schools in Port Harcourt Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria constituted the population. Three
research question and three hypotheses guided the study. The hypotheses were tested and analyzed using
chi square statistics. Three classrooms were randomly selected for the study. The population is made up of
10,983 students and 496 teachers and the sample size was of 1098 students and 12 teachers. Six
classroom were used; three in SS1 and three in SS11, respectively. Six teachers taught SS1 and six teachers
taught SS11 using a technique (Flanders, Teacher Initiation, Students’ Response and Teacher Evaluation;
and Teaching Cycles). Twelve lessons were recorded on a cassette, transcribed, coded and analysed.
Flanders category was the observational instrument. Test- retest method was used to establish the
reliability of the instrument at 0.87 co-efficient. The result showed that students’ participation is not
contingent upon classroom technique used. Students’ in these classrooms were less challenged therefore
teachers should go extra step to encourage voluntary students’ participation in the classrooms.