Effect of Mini-Anchor-Chart Strategy on Academic Performance of Dissimilar Learning Rapidity Basic-8 Students in Basic Science, Obudu, Cross River State

This study investigated the effect of the Mini-Anchor-Chart Strategy (MACS) on the academic performance of Basic 8 students with dissimilar learning rapidity in Basic Science in Obudu, Cross River State, Nigeria. A pre-test post-test non-randomized quasi-experimental control group design was adopted. The sample comprised 68 Basic 8 students drawn from two intact classes in government-owned upper basic schools. Students were classified into fast, moderate, and slow learners using the Students Learning Rapidity Classification Quiz. The experimental group (n=34) was taught using the Mini-Anchor-Chart Strategy, while the control group (n=34) was exposed to the conventional expository teaching strategy. The Basic Science Performance Test (BSPT), a 25-item multiple-choice instrument with a reliability coefficient of 0.848, served as the data collection tool. Results from Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) revealed a statistically significant difference in academic performance between the two groups, F (1,65) = 257.754, p < 0.05, with the MACS group recording a higher mean gain score (7.41) compared to the expository group (2.14). However, within the MACS group, no significant difference was found in the academic performance of students across the three levels of learning rapidity, F (2,30) = 0.321, p > 0.05. The findings indicate that the Mini-Anchor-Chart Strategy is an effective learner-centred instructional approach that substantially enhances academic performance in Basic Science irrespective of students’ learning speed. It is recommended that Basic Science teachers adopt this strategy to improve learning outcomes in Nigerian basic education.