COMPUTER SIMULATION PACKAGE AND GENDER AS PREDICTORS OF STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN BIOLOGY

Olumide, Olubukola Joyce

Department of Teacher Education

University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

E-mail: yemiogundiwin@yahoo.com

Abstract: The conventional method of teaching is the most common in Nigeria and researchers have shown that this method has led to poor performance of students in Biology but in other subjects. Researchers have been able to ascertain that students will learn best when they participate in teaching-learning process. This study was conducted to establish computer simulation package and gender as predictors in the teaching of Genetics on students’ achievement in Biology. The pretest-posttest, control group, quasi-experimental design with 2x2x3 factorial matrix was adopted. Two hundred and forty (240) Senior Secondary School students from four (4) purposively selected schools in Ibadan metropolis of Oyo State were used for the study. The schools were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups and the study lasted twelve (12) weeks. Five (5) instruments used for data collection were: Teachers Instructional Guides for teachers using the treatments and control group; Students’ Achievement in Biology Test (r = 0.80), Computer Simulation Package on Genetics in Biology and Assessment Sheet for the research assistants. Three null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data collected were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and Multiple Classification Analysis Treatment had a significant effect on students’ Post-test achievement score. Students exposed to computer simulation performed better with higher adjusted posttest achievement mean score (mean = 72.215; dev. = 3.21) than their counterparts who were taught with the conventional teaching method (mean = 49.743; dev. = – 3). There was a significant main effect of gender on student’s achievement in Biology (F (1,228) = 8.652, P <0.005). ICT-based instructions in the form of computer simulation or video-cd have been found to make learning real, permanent and provide experience in all field of learning and so it is recommended to avert the recurrent failure of students.