Effect of Experiential Learning Methods on Junior Secondary School Business Studies Students' Critical Thinking Skills in Lagos, Nigeria

This study examined the effect of experiential learning methods on the critical thinking skills of public junior secondary school business studies students. Specifically, it compared the effects of Experiential learning (simulations, role-playing, and project-based learning) with the traditional lecture method. Two employed, featuring pre-test and post-test with a sample of 149 students from four secondary schools in Lagos state. Data were gathered using the Business Studies Critical Thinking Achievement Test (BSCTAT). The hypotheses were tested using ANCOVA at a 0.05 significance level. The results revealed that students taught using experiential learning methods showed significantly higher critical thinking skills in business studies than those taught through traditional methods. Gender did not considerably influence students’ essential skills of critical thinking, suggesting that experiential learning is equally effective for both gender of students. Based on these findings, the study recommended, among others, that business studies teachers should adopt experiential learning methods, such as project-based learning, simulation, and role-playing learning, to foster critical thinking and engagement. It also suggests that educational stakeholders organise workshops to train teachers in these experiential learning methods.