ABSTRACT

The study investigated effect of The Learning Cycle (TLC) instructional model on student's achievement, interest and retention in Geography using quasi-experimental research design. Six research questions were answered while six null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The population of this study consists of 1,077 SS II students offering Geography in Umuahia Education Zone of Abia State while the sample for the study was 243 respondents randomly selected from four coeducational school. Out of these four co-educational schools selected, two made up of 124 SSII students were randomly assigned to TLC (treatment) group and two made up of 119 SSII students were assigned to conventional (control) group. Two sets of instruments (Geography achievement instrument and Geography Interest Inventory) were used for data collection for the study. The two sets of instrument were validated by five experts. The reliability of the Geography Achievement Test Instrument was determined using Kuder Richardson 21 (K-R21) which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.71 while the Geography Interest Inventory Instrument was tested using Cronbach Alpha reliability technique which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.60. The data collected from the pre-test scores, post-test scores and retention scores were analyzed using mean score to answer the research questions while the hypotheses formulated for the study were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. Based on the data collected and analysed, the study found that Geography students taught using The Learning Cycle (TLC) model had higher mean achievement, interest and retention of learning than than those taught with conventional lecture method. Gender of the students has no significant effects on students' achievement and retention in Geography but there is significant effect of gender on students' interest in learning Geography in favour of males. Based on the findings of this study, the study among others recommended that The Learning Cycle (TLC) should be used in Geography teaching and more studies should be conducted about rthe efficacy of learning cycle model on other instructional variables, since the use of The Learning Cycle model enhance academic achievement, interest and retention of learning of secondary school students in Geography, teachers in secondary schools should adopt the use of this technique for instructional delivery and that relevant instructional materials to facilitate the use of TLC for teaching and learning should be provided by the government and secondary schools management for effective use in the state.