EFFECT OF INDIVIDUAL BASED MASTERY LEARNING ON SOCIAL STUDIES STUDENTS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN PRINCE ABUBAKAR AUDU UNIVERSITY ANYIGBA

This study examined the effect of mastery learning strategies on junior secondary school students’ achievement in Social Studies in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design was adopted, involving 150 Junior Secondary II students from two mixed schools. The experimental groups were taught using individual-based and group-based mastery learning strategies, while the control group received conventional instruction. Data were collected using a 40-item Social Studies Achievement Test (SSAT) with a reliability index of 0.88. Mean, standard deviation, and ANOVA were used to analyze the data at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that mastery learning strategies significantly enhanced students’ achievement compared to the traditional method, with group based mastery learning showing the highest gains. Male students performed slightly better than female students, though the difference was not significant. The study concluded that mastery learning is effective in improving academic achievement and recommended its adoption in teaching Social Studies.