Article Details

This study investigated gender difference in achievement and attitude among secondary school physics students taught thermal energy using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria.  The study investigated four research questions and four null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance.  Quasi experimental research design involving non randomized control pretest-posttest design was utilized.  The study population consisted of 2699 Senior Secondary II (SSII) physics students from 54 public SSII physics students in FCT, Abuja.  Multistage random sampling technique was used to select 75 SSII physics students from two SS as sample for the study.  Two instruments consisting of Thermal Energy Achievement Test (TEAT) and Attitude to Thermal Energy Questionnaire (ATEQ) were used for data collection.  The data collected from these instruments were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the null hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA).  Findings from the analyzed data showed that physics students taught using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy performed better in their achievement scores than those physics students taught using conventional teaching method;  Male physics students did not perform better than their female counterpart when taught using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy; Physics students taught using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy had better attitude towards thermal energy than their counterpart in the control group; Male physics students did not have a better attitude towards thermal energy than their female counterpart when taught using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy.  Based on these findings, it was recommended among others that physics teachers should be encouraged to teach using metacognitive scaffolding teaching strategy.  Government and educational agencies, curriculum planners and developers should encourage the training of physics teachers on metacognitive scaffolding teaching during seminars, workshops and conferences.