The Effect of Peer Instruction (PI) on the Pre-Service Teachers’ Learning of Current Electricity

Abstract

This study was carried out to find out the effects of PI on the pre-service teachers’ learning of current electricity. The choice of pre-service teachers is hinged on the importance role teachers play in the student’s learning of sciences in schools. The study adopted pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. 42 students of a College of Education in Nigeria were purposively sampled for the study. Two research questions were answered. Data were collected through Current Electricity Physics Assessment (CEPA) and the Peer Instruction Dialogical Argumentation Questionnaire (PIDAQ). The collected data were analyzed using the descriptive statistics and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Findings revealed that there is no significant difference in academic performance of students taught with the PI and those with the lecture method. Besides, PI improve students understanding in current electricity and students have many misconceptions in current electricity. The study made some recommendations.