Enhancing Students' Academic Performance in Chemistry by Using Kitchen Resources in Ikom, Calabar

This paper seeks to investigate how students' performance in Chemistry can be enhanced by using kitchen resources in Calabar. The kitchen resources used included a piece of white paper, a swab, lemon juice and candle. These were used to show that paper cellulose was oxidized by flame due to the catalysis of lemon juice acid. Other materials used were empty bottles of water, a balloon, a teaspoon, a glass, vinegar and sodium bicarbonate to inflate balloons without blowing. Volcano being made with a large glass, water, liquid dye, oil, effervescent tablet and a lantern was to demonstrate immiscibility, and carbon dioxide was formed because of effervescent tablet dissolution. The sample comprised 50 students drawn from two secondary schools in Ikom Education Zone of Cross River State. Two instruments were used to collect data: Chemistry Interest Questionnaire (CIQ) and Chemistry Achievement Test (Cat). Cronbach was used to establish reliability for CIQ and was found to be 078. Richardson formula 21 was used to establish reliability for Cat, 0.83. The research used a mixed design (quasi experimental and survey design). Data obtained were analyzed using independent t-test and Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. The results gave a significant t test of 4.96 and positive r =0.90 at 0.05 alpha level. The null hypothesis was not accepted which stated that there is no significant relationship between students' interest when taught with and without kitchen resources. The second null hypothesis with regard to Chemistry interest and academic achievement was also not accepted. Teachers are encouraged to use kitchen resources in the teaching of Chemistry to foster interest which will lead to high academic performance.