The effect of active teaching method on academic performance in science: the case of 3rd grade junior high school students in Andimeshk city (2010-2011)

The present study examined the impact of active teaching method on academic performance of students in science classes in Andimeshk city. The statistical population included all science teachers and students. Among whom12 teachers and 288 students were selected by systematic sampling and were categorized randomly into the control and experimental groups. Self-evaluation questionnaire specialized for active and passive teaching methods as well as researcher-made questionnaire focusing on student's academic performance were used to collect the data. The validity of the researcher- made test was verified by means of the experts of the field and its reliability was calculated by Cronbach's alpha as 0/93. By means of analysis of variance and factor analysis of variance and Scheffe post hoc tests, data were analyzed. The results indicated that active teaching methods comparing to the traditional ones had more effect on the academic achievement of students. However, considering the gender, no significant difference was found between male and female students.