Impact of Science Clubs on Students’ Interest in Science Subjects in Selected Secondary Schools in Cross River State

This study assessed the impact of science clubs on students' interest in science subjects in selected secondary schools in Cross River State, Nigeria. Co-curricular science activities have been theorised as motivational bridges connecting classroom learning to real-world scientific inquiry, yet empirical studies on their effectiveness within the South South geopolitical context remain limited. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The sample comprised 240 SS1 and SS2 students drawn from eight secondary schools in Calabar Municipality, four of which had active science clubs and four of which did not. A researcher-designed Science Interest Scale with a reliability coefficient of 0.82 was administered to all participants. Data were analysed using independent samples t-test and frequency distributions. The findings revealed that students belonging to active science clubs demonstrated significantly higher interest scores across Biology, Chemistry, and Physics compared to those in schools without such clubs. Science club membership also showed a positive association with voluntary science reading and participation in science fairs. Recommendations included formalising science clubs as a component of the co-curricular schedule, training teacher advisers, and providing start-up grants to schools lacking science club resources. Keywords: science clubs, student interest, co-curricular activities, Cross River State, secondary education.