By Ugwu, Julieth Chizoba
The study investigated the effect of manual games on the achievement of Junior Secondary School students in English grammar in Igbo-Eze North Local Government area of Enugu State. Five research questions and five null hypotheses guided the study. Related literatures were reviewed for the study. The study adopted non-equivalent control group quasi experimental design using a population of 2, 107 junior secondary school students in the local government area. A sample of 210 JSS 2 students comprising 127 female students and 83 male students. English grammar achievement test adapted from junior WAEC examination past questions was used to collect relevant data for the study. The instrument was face validated by three experts, one in Science Education and two from Arts Education all in University of Nigeria. Content validation of the instrument was ensured through the use of test blue print. A reliability index on 0.65 was obtained using Kuder-Richardson’s formulae 20. Data collected were analysed using mean, standard deviation and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while ANCOVA was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study showed that; the use of manual games instructional technique has significantly proved very effective in improving the achievement of students in English grammar than the conventional discussion technique. Also, gender influence on the achievement of students in English grammar was found not to be significant. On the other hand, there was a significant differential achievement of students with high and low ability levels in favour of the high ability level students. Both gender and ability level students were found not to interact significantly with instructional technique to affect the achievement of students in English grammar. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that School authority should enforce the use of manual games by the teachers in the teaching of English language since its efficacy has been proven.