Effects Of Computer-Simulated Instructional Strategy On Senior Secondary School Students’ Interest And Achievement In Practical Physics In Imo State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Due to the abstract nature of physics, many secondary school students have low

interest and perform poorly in the subject. Literature showed that to stimulate students‟

interest, better conceptual understanding and achievement, there is the need to introduce

computer-simulated experiments in physics practical classes. Previous studies on the use

of computer-simulated experiments in physics practical activities have focused more on

students in higher institutions than on secondary school students. This study, therefore,

investigated the effects of computer-simulated instructional strategy on senior secondary

school (SSS) students‟ interest and achievement in physics practicals in Imo State,

Nigeria. It also determined the moderating effect of numerical reasoning ability (NRA)

and perceptual reasoning ability (PRA).

This study adopted a pretest-posttest, control group quasi-experimental design.

Multistage random sampling was used to select 359 of intact classes of SSS II from six

secondary schools from Owerri Educational Zone. Participants were randomly assigned to

treatment groups: Computer-Simulated Experiment (CSE), Computer-Simulated and

Hands-on Experiment (CSHE) and Conventional Hands-on Experiment (CHE). Treatment

lasted eight weeks. Instruments were used: Physics Achievement Test (r =0.84), Students‟

Interest in Physics Questionnaire (r =0.85), Numerical Ability Test (r= 0.90), Perceptual

Ability Test (r = 0.87), Practical Test (r = 0.84) and Software Package. Seven null

hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data were analysed using

MANCOVA.

Treatment had a significant effect on students‟ achievement and interest in physics

practical, (= 0.91, F (4,670) = 8.32, η2= 0.047). Also, treatment had a significant effect on

students‟ achievement (F (2,336) = 14.76, p < 0.025, η2 = 0.081) but had no significant effect

on interest. Students exposed to CSE performed slightly better ( ̅ = 38.67; SD = 6.86) than

those in CSHE ( ̅ = 38.56, SD = 6.85) and CHE ( ̅ = 33.37; S.D = 7.51). The NRA had a

significant effect on achievement and interest in physics practicals ( = 0.96, F (4,670) =

3.62, η2 = 0.021), Also, it had a significant effect on achievement, (F (2, 336) = 420, p