PEER-ASSISTED LEARNING STRATEGY: A PANACEA FOR BETTER ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS IN SHORTHAND IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION

Abstract

This study examined peer-assisted learning strategy as a panacea for better academic performance of business education students in shorthand. Four research questions were raised; and four hypotheses formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. Quasi-experimental research design was adopted for the study. The experiment was carried out on two intact classes of two hundred and ninety (290) and seventy-four (74) students of 200 Level Business Education in two public-owned colleges of education in Ogun State, Nigeria, who were respectively assigned to experimental and control groups purposively for the study. The peer tutors taught the experimental class while the regular Shorthand teacher taught the control group with the conventional method. The instrument of data collection was Shorthand Practical Performance Test (SPPT). Test-retest method of reliability was employed to determine the stability over time for the instrument, which Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) result yielded 0.85 coefficient. The data collected were analysed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions. Null hypotheses were tested using analyses of covariance for both pre-test and post-test scores at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that there was a significant effect of treatment (PeerAssisted Learning Strategy – PALS) on students’ academic performance in Shorthand. The study concluded, based on its findings, that PALS enhances the level of academic achievement in Shorthand than the conventional method of instruction, and therefore, recommended among others that PALS should be considered for use by Business Educations lecturers in the teaching and learning of Shorthand.

KEYWORDS: Academic Performance, Business Education, Colleges of Education, Peer-Assisted Learning Strategy, Shorthand.

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CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Soyebi, Gabriel Adewale. Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun State,Nigeria. Email:soyebiga@tasued.edu.ng