IMPACT OF TEACHER-STUDENTS’ INTERACTION AND COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH ON STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE AND PERFORMANCE IN ORAL ENGLISH IN BENUE STATE- NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of teacher-students’ interaction strategy and communicative approach on students’ attitude and performance in oral English in Otukpo Local Government Area. Specifically, the study was designed to find out whether students
taught using Teacher-Students’ Interaction Strategy (TSIS) and Communicative Approach (CA) would performance better in oral English than those students taught using the form-focused approach. Three research questions were answered and three null hypotheses were tested at P>0.05 level of significance. A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test non-equivalent control group design was used for this study. Purposive and random sampling were used to obtained 152 secondary school two (SS2) students in four intact classes in Otukpo Local Government Area and were assigned to two experimental and one control groups. Data were collected using Oral English Language Performance Test (OELPT) and Oral English Attitude Survey Instruments (OEAS). The data collected were analysed using mean and standard deviation and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA).The reliability of OELPT and OEAS yielded 0.084 and 0.74 using Kuder Richardson (K-R 20 )and Cronbach Alpha respectively. The finding indicated that there is significant difference in the mean impact of TSIS, CA and form focus approach on students’ attitude [F(2,146) = 148.54; P = 0.00 < 0.05], performance [F(2,146) = 718.98; P = 0.00 < 0.05], performance in vowel sounds [F(2,146) = 338.98; P = 0.00 < 0.05] performance in consonant sound production [F(2,146) = 225.57; P = 0.00 < 0.05] and performance in stress and stress pattern [F(1,146) = 199.72; P = 0.00 < 0.05] in oral English. It was also found that there is no significant difference in the mean impact of teacher-students’ interaction strategy on male and female students’ attitude [F(1,47) = 1.01; P = 0.32 > 0.05] and performance [F(1,47) = 0.39; P = 0.54 > 0.05] in oral English. Similarly, there is no significant difference in the mean impact of communicative approach on male and female students’ attitude [F(1,47) = 0.17; P = 0.69 > 0.05] and performance [F(1,47) = 0.54; P = 0.47 > 0.05) in oral English. It was concluded that TSIS and CA were valid for improving students’ attitude and performance in oral English in Otukpo Local Government Area. Based on the findings, it was recommended that oral English teacher should adopt TSIS and CA so as to enhance performance in oral English and academic tasks.