Effect of Two Teaching Methods on Sexual Health Knowledge of In-School Adolescents in Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract:

This quasi experimental study was designed to determine the effect of lecture and Socratic questioning teaching methods on mean sexual health knowledge gain of in-school adolescents in Enugu State, Nigeria. A sample of 310 senior secondary-two students in eight intact classes were drawn from 16,510 senior in-school adolescents using multi-stage sampling. Sexual health knowledge test comprising 50 items was used to test students’ knowledge of sexual health. Student t-test and ANOVA were used to test the hypotheses at α=0.05. There was significant difference in the mean sexual health knowledge gain scores of students taught with lecture and Socratic questioning methods (lecture x̄=9.25 > Socratic questioning x̄=7.25; p<0.01). There was statistically significant difference in the mean sexual health knowledge gain of students in urban and rural schools (P<0.001). Students in rural areas taught with lecture method had higher mean sexual health knowledge gain score (x̄=11.75) than those in the urban areas (x̄ = 7.50). Urban subjects taught with Socratic questioning had slightly higher mean sexual health knowledge gain score of x̄=7.26 compared to their rural counterparts that scored x̄=7.25. Lecture remains effective teaching method for improving sexual health knowledge of students. Health educators should use lecture methods for adolescents’ health instructions.