Impact of Role-Play Technique on Students' Academic Performance in Spoken English in Public Junior Secondary Schools in Toro LGA, Bauchi State

Abstract

This study examined how the role-play technique influences students’ spoken English performance in public junior secondary schools in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State. The purpose was to determine whether role-play could improve students’ fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary use, and overall communicative ability. A quasi-experimental design was used, involving 322 students selected through multi-stage sampling from five public junior secondary schools. The participants were separated into an experimental group, which received instruction through role-play, and a control group taught using conventional methods. Data were gathered using a Spoken English Performance Test (SEPT) and an observation checklist to measure oral proficiency and classroom engagement. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential tools such as independent and paired samples t-tests at a 0.05 significance level. The results showed that the experimental group performed significantly better in the post-test than the control group and also recorded notable improvement from pre-test to post-test. Classroom observations further revealed strong participation, increased confidence, and effective language use among students involved in role-play tasks. The study concluded that role-play is a valuable instructional strategy for enhancing spoken English, encouraging active learning, and building communicative competence. It recommended the integration of role-play in English lessons, inclusion of structured activities in the curriculum, and teacher training on interactive, learner-centered approaches. The study offers empirical support for communicative and activity-based methods in improving oral English skills in junior secondary schools.