Effect of Computer Simulation Strategy on Junior Secondary Students’ Achievement in Basic Science and Technology in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

This work was conducted to examine the effects of computer simulation strategy on junior secondary school students’ achievement in basic science and technology in Jos North Plateau State, Nigeria. The study employed a Pretest–Posttest Non-equivalent Control Group Design for non-randomized samples. Intact classes were used in the study. The population of the study was 1,494 from the 22 public secondary schools in the study area. The sample size of the study was 75 comprising male and female from both the experimental and control groups. The instrument for data collection was Basic Science and Technology Achievement Test BSTAT. The instrument was validated by experts three from the Department of Science and Technology Education, Test and Measurement and Evaluation and Educational Psychology of the University of Jos. The reliability of the instrument was 0.79 the two groups were pretested to determined their equivalence; the treatment lasted for six weeks after which the posttest was administered. Data were analyse using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions. The use of ANCOVA was effective in answering the research hypothesis Findings of the study revealed that computer simulation is significant in teaching BST and there is no gender difference on achievement in the experimental group P>0.05. The study recommended that computer simulation teaching strategy enhanced students’ achievement in basic science and technology, teachers should adopt the use of this strategy.