Effect of Demonstration Method on Achievement of Students in Physics Practical in Sokoto State Secondary Schools

This study investigated the effect of the demonstration method of teaching on the achievement of students in Physics practical work in secondary schools in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Physics practical competence is a prerequisite for science-related career advancement, yet many students in North West Nigerian schools complete their secondary education with minimal hands-on physics laboratory experience due to resource limitations. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group was used. Four intact SS2 Physics classes from four government secondary schools in Sokoto North and Wamakko Local Government Areas were selected. Two classes were assigned to the experimental group, where Physics practicals were taught using the teacher-led demonstration method, while two control classes continued with the conventional approach of theoretical description without demonstration. A Physics Practical Achievement Test comprising 25 structured questions was validated and administered. Reliability was 0.79 using Kuder-Richardson. Analysis of Covariance was used to test the hypothesis. Findings revealed that students in the demonstration group performed significantly better on the Physics practical achievement test than those in the control group. Male and female students benefited equally from the approach. The study recommended systematic adoption of the demonstration method, procurement of basic demonstration equipment for Physics laboratories, and teacher training in demonstration techniques. Keywords: demonstration method, Physics practical, secondary education, Sokoto State, achievement.