TOWARDS SCALING UP STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE AND RETENTION IN BASIC SCIENCE USING COMPUTER-AIDED INSTRUCTION IN TARABA STATE, NIGERIA.

Abstract

 This study investigated the impact of Computer-aided instructional (CAI) strategy on the Performance and Retention of upper Basic II Science students in Taraba State, Nigeria. It adopted a non-randomized, pretest, posttest, post-posttest, control group quasi-experimental research design. Two null hypotheses were formulated in line with the research questions and purpose of the study. The population of the students comprised of 2511 and a total of 160 students were selected as sample using multi-stage sampling technique. The instrument known as Basic Science Performance and Retention Test (BSPRT) was adapted from BECE with a reliability of 0.81 obtained from the pilot testing using Kuder Richardson’s (KR₂₁) formula for the data collected. Data were collected by the administration of the instrument during the pretest, posttest and post-posttest. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions; independent sample t-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The results of the study showed that Computer-aided instructional pedagogical strategy in basic science enhanced the performance and retention of the basic science concepts among the upper basic II students. It was therefore recommended that STAN, NUT, NERDC among others should fund the development of computer-aided instructional package and train the manpower to produce software and hardware for science education teaching in order to enhance the performance and retention of the learnt concepts by the students in science.