Effective Social Studies Pedagogy: Effect of Simulation Games and Brainstorming Strategies on Students’ Learning Outcome

Abstract

This study explored the effects of game simulation and brainstorming pedagogy strategies on students’ learning outcomes. In addition, the study compared the effects of three strategies on students’ learning outcomes. This study tested pedagogical strategies for effects on learning outcomes. The quasi-experimental research involved 180 students. The results reliably indicate that a simulation-game pedagogical strategy boosted students’ learning outcomes, while a brainstorming pedagogical strategy was effective on students’ learning outcomes. When equated with brainstorming and the lecture strategies in enhancing students’ learning outcomes, the superiority of the simulation-game pedagogical strategy was also observed. These findings indicate that innovative and student-centred pedagogical strategies such as simulation-game and brainstorming strategies improve students’ learning outcomes. In-service teachers should be appropriately trained through seminars and conferences on modern pedagogical strategies such as brainstorming and simulation games for better Social Studies pedagogical strategies.

Metacognitive reading strategies: gender, locality, and age differences among secondary school students

“…After coming up with ideas orally, it might be helpful to put them into a visual organiser like a word cloud, a map, or a semantic web. These tools make it easy to classify and categorise related ideas that branch out from a primary topic [17].…”

A novel instructional approach: the effect of computer-assisted simulation learning games (CASLGs) on social studies students' scholarly learning outcomes

“…For example, the snake and ladder, monopoly, etc., games have been developed to promote educational significance. As a game is played severally, the students master the concepts the game is meant to depict (Obro et al. , 2021).…”

“…As a scholarly discipline/subject in Nigerian schools, Social Studies is a subject in which the concept of society has been infused. However, despite its significance to vocational and allied disciplines, it is plagued with numerous problems, such as unsatisfying students' scholarly learning outcomes (Obro, Ogheneaokoke, & Akpochafo, 2021). This ugly trend could be ascribed to several factors, which include the abstract nature of the subject (social studies), lack of relevant and current teaching resources, ineffective teaching methods and dwindling interest in Social Studies (Okam & Onuoha, 2011).…”

“…Sometimes, school administrators draft Social Studies teachers to teach other subjects at the expense of the subject. The outcome is that only a few topics on the scheme of work are covered at the end of the term, resulting in unsatisfactory students' learning outcomes (Obro et al, 2021). The lukewarm attitude of society towards Social Studies, just like pure sciences, affected the subjects.…”