EFFECTS OF CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING ON ACHIEVEMENT AND RETENTION OFSECONDARY STUDENTS IN FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING IN EDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the effects of co-operative learning on achievement and retention of secondary students in
financial accounting in Edo State, Nigeria. Quasi-experimental design was used. The population of the study was 69
SS II accounting students. Two schools were randomly selected and grouped into experimental group (cooperative
learning with 27 students), and control group (conventional demonstration with 42 students). Three instrument for
data collection were used. (Financial Accounting Achievement Test I (FAAT I) pre-test, Financial Accounting
Achievement Test II (FAAT II) post-test and Financial Accounting Achievement Test III (FAAT III) a reshuffled of
FAAT II for retention. FAAT I, II & III contain 40 multiple choice A-D questions each, adopted from past WAEC
and NECO examinations for 6 years 2015-2020. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation
for research questions while ANOVA and Independent Sample t- test were used for the hypotheses at 0.05 level of
significance. The study found among other, that there were no much difference between the two groups of students
at the pre-treatment stage of the study on academic achievement. However, the post –treatment results indicated
that the mean scores are in favour of students in experimental group (exposed to co-operative learning).Study
revealed that co-operative learning enhances student’s retention because of their active participation. The findings
suggested thatcooperative learning approach is effective and enhanced financial accounting achievement of
secondary students exposed to it than their counterpart in conventional demonstration group. Therefore, it
recommended that government of Edo State should encourage curriculum planners and secondary school Teachers
to adopt co-operative learning approach as an instructional approach for teaching financial accounting in
secondary schools to improve students’ achievement and retention in the subject.