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Effect of Electronic-Learning on the Academic Achievement of Basic Science Students in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

AFRREV VOL 14 (1), S/NO 57, JANUARY, 2020

African Research Review: An International

Multidisciplinary Journal, Ethiopia

AFRREV Vol. 14 (1), Serial No 57, January, 2020: 210-216

ISSN 1994-9057 (Print) ISSN 2070-0083 (Online)

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/afrrev.v14i1.18

Effect of Electronic-Learning on the Academic Achievement

of Basic Science Students in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Moses, J. B., Akporehwe, N. J. & Agah, R.

Science Education Department

Faculty of Education, Niger Delta University

Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State.

E-mail: mosesjohnbilly@gmail.com; joynatei@yahoo.com

Abstract

The study investigated the effect of electronic-learning on the academic achievement of basic

science students in Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. A pretest,

posttest, control group, quasi-experimental design was adopted. One hundred and four (104)

JS.2 students from two government owned junior secondary schools in Yenagoa Local

Government Area were purposely selected for the study. The schools were randomly assigned

to experimental and control groups. The study lasted for five weeks. Three instruments

IGELS, IGMLM and BSAT were used for the study. One research question was posed and

answered using mean and deviation standard and one null hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level

of significance using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The findings revealed that those

taught with e-learning had a higher mean (72,33) than those taught with modified lecture

method (50.59) with a mean difference of 21.74. E-learning had significant effect on

student’s academic achievement in basic science. (f1,101=76.392; p<0.05 partial eta

squared=0.558), with an effect size of 55.8%. Finding showed that there was a significant

difference in students’ achievement in basic science when taught with e-learning and

modified lecture method; the e –learning students performing better. It was recommended

that government should provide e-learning materials for schools and train the teachers to

acquire the basic skills.

Key Words: Electronic learning, IGELS, IGMLM and BSAT

Introduction

It has become so glaring to everyone that the world has become a global village. People are

becoming more and more familiar to the use of smart phones, computers and other

technological devices used in accessing the internet on a daily basis. The introduction of

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multimedia technologies and the internet in learning has been observed as a vital means of

improving accessibility and quality of delivery of learning among students and teachers in

secondary schools (Fayomi, Ayo, Ajayi & Okorie, 2015).

Electronic- learning which is also referred to as e-learning is seen as a good tool that can be

used to enhance learning. It is a shift from the conventional teaching and learning style to an

Information and Communication Technology, (ICT)-based, personalized, flexible, self-

organized, collaborative learning, based on a community of learners, teachers, facilitators and

experts (Olojo, Adewumi & Ajisola, 2012).

E-learning makes use of computers, laptops, mobile phones, android phones etc, which most

secondary school students have access to. These components are either owned by the students

or their parents, therefore could watch a video on what was taught in the class for better

understanding. The use of these facilities in the classroom and at home could make abstract

concept to become very real to the students.

Basic science which is also known as integrated science is a core subject in the Nigerian

school system (FRN, 2014). Arbon in Opara (2011) says science help students to gain an

understanding of the role and function of science in everyday life and the world in which they

live. He further argued that the integrating principles as found in basic science are intended to

produce a course which is relevant to students’ needs and experiences and lays adequate

foundation for subsequent specialist course of study and also adds a cultural dimension to

science education. Through the process of integration of science:

i. there is an increased scientific literacy.

ii. the students are exposed to the process of science.

iii. the students have increased interest in science.

iv. the students see science as one with no clear boundaries of individual subjects.

v. the relationship of science to society is clearly seen.

vi. the students imbibe the scientific attitudes.

vii. the students use the laws, theories, facts, principles and generalizations in science to solve

daily problems.

Research findings have shown that the performance of students in the science subjects have

not been encouraging (Akpan, 2012 & Moses, 2013). Factors responsible for this poor

performance have been attributed to inadequate textbooks, lack of learner’s interest,

unqualified science teachers, lack of well-equipped laboratories, psychological fear of science

subjects, and teaching methods/ strategies (Akpan, 2008 & Moses, 2012).

Okebukola (1997) indicated that science teaching is mostly done with lecture method which

promotes role learning. This approach is not good enough for science teaching. Even when

the science curriculum recommended the guided discovery method for most science topics,

other conventional methods are still being used in science teaching and learning largely due to

lack of instructional materials.

Akpan (2008) argued that most of the junior secondary schools in the Nigerian school system

lack adequate laboratories. This will obviously affect the effective teaching and learning of

basic science.

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Sunday, Ayooluwa, Olaniyi (2015) in their research findings discovered that e-learning

further develops students computer skills, encourages students’ way of learning, and helps

students to study content in a way that showed connection between subjects. They further

stressed that, e-learning makes students to have infinite access to unlimited information of

varying degrees. Also, that e-learning allows students to use various kinds of technology to

conduct research, communicate and create knowledge. Similarly, Oye, Inhad, Madar and

Rahin (2012) in their findings observed that e-learning has significant impact on students’

academic performance. Oleabhiele (2015) who discovered that e-learning has significant

effects on students’ mean achievement score than those taught with lecture method. In

another research, Owino (2013) found out that students taught with the e-learning performed

lower than those taught with conventional study mode.

Statement of the Problem

The discouraging performance of students in basic science in junior secondary schools in

Nigeria has been a concern to science educators and researchers over the year. One of the

factors attributed to this, is the use of conventional teaching methods like the lecture method

which has been in use over the decades. These methods have led to rote learning of science,

hence affecting the effective delivery of science. Modern innovative strategies are therefore

being sort for by researchers. With the advent of ICT, the e-learning strategy could be used to

see, if there could be an improvement in the performance of students in basic science, hence

this study, effect of e-learning on the academic achievement of basic science students.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of electronic-learning on the academic

achievement of basic science students in junior secondary schools in Yenagoa Local

Government Area of Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study is to find out the

difference that exists in students’ achievement in basic science, when taught with e-learning

and modified lecture method.

Research Question

One research question was raised for the study:

i. What difference exists in students’ achievement in basic science when taught with e-

learning and modified lecture methods?

Research Hypothesis

One hypothesis was tested for significance at alpha level ≤0.05.

i. There is no statistically significant difference in students’ achievement in basic

science when taught with e-learning and modified lecture method.

Method

The study adopted the pretest, posttest, control group, quasi-experimental design. A 2X2

factorial matrix was adopted with instructional strategies (e-learning and modified lecture

method) as treatments.

The study was done in two junior secondary schools in Yenagoa Local Government Area of

Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The two schools were purposively selected and assigned to treatment

and control groups based on the following criteria.

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i. The schools must be public schools.

ii. The school must have qualified basic science teachers.

Intact classes were used: The experimental group was taught using e-learning, while the

control group was taught using modified lecture method. JSS 2 students were used in both

schools. One of the schools was randomly selected as experimental group and the other as

control. A total of 104 students (51 males and 53 females) were used for the study.

Three instruments were used for study namely:

i. Instructional Guide on E-learning Strategy (IGELS).

ii. Instructional Guide on Modified Lecture Method (IGMLM).

iii. Basic Science Achievement Test (BSAT).

The instruments were developed by the researchers. BSAT had a reliability coefficient of 0.88

using Kuder-Richardson formula 21(KR-21). The instruments were validated by experts.

The first week was for the training of the teachers on the use of IGELS and IGMLM. The

second weeks was used on the administration of the pre-test on BSAT. The next two weeks

were used for the administration of the treatment on the experimental group (IGELS) and the

control group (IGMLM). The next week, which is the fifth week, was used for the

administration of the post-test.

Method of Data Analysis

The data collected were analyzed using mean to provide answers to the research question,

while analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypothesis for significance at

0.05 alpha levels.

Results

The result of the study is presented in line with the research question and the hypothesis that

guided the study.

Research question 1

What difference exists in students’ achievement in basic science when taught with e-learning

and modified lecture method?

Table 1: Summary of mean and standard deviation of pretest and posttest scores of

basic science students taught with e-learning and modified lecture method.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Instructional strategies N

Pretest Scores

Posttest scores

Mean gain scores

X SD

___________________________________________________________________________________

E-Learning

45.53 8.07

72.33

8.76

26.80

Modified Lecture method 44

38.18 8.77

50.59

8.65

12.41

Total

104

42.31 9.031

9.06

63.13

20.82

___________________________________________________________________________________

Table 1 revealed that, the pretest mean score of those taught with e-learning instructional

strategy was 45.53 with a standard deviation of 8.07, while those taught with modified lecture

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method had a pretest mean score of 38.18 with a standard deviation of 8.77. The difference in

the mean score was 7.35.

The table also showed that, the post-test mean score of those taught with e-learning

instructional strategy was 72.33, with a standard deviation of 8.76. A mean gain of 26.80 was

recorded compared to their pretest score. While those taught with the modified lecture method

had a post-test mean score of 50.59, with a standard deviation of 8.65. A mean gain of 12.41

was also recorded compared to their pretest score. Therefore, the post-test mean score of

those taught with e-learning 72.33 was greater than the post-test mean score of those taught

with the modified lecture method 50.59. The same result was seen in the mean gain.

This implies that the students taught with e-learning have a greater achievement than those

taught with modified lecture method.

Research hypothesis 1

There is no statistically significant difference in students’ achievement in basic science when

taught with e-learning and modified lecture method.

TABLE 2: One - way Analysis of Convenience (ANCOVA) of post-test scores of

students’ achievement in basic science when taught with e-learning and modified lecture

method.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Source of Variation

Type III Sum df

Mean

Sig. Partial Eta Decision

of Squares

Square

Squared

p <0.05

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Corrected Model

12028.552

6014.276 78.729 .000 .609

Intercept

13636.767

13636.767 178.511 .000 .639

Pretest Scores

28.406

28.406 .372 .543 .004

Instructional

9738.788

9738.788 127.488 .000* .558

Strategies

Error

7715.563

101 76392

Total

434286.000

104

Corrected Total

19744.115

103

____________________________________________________________________________________________

R Squared = .609 (Adjusted R. Squared = .601) *= Significant at p<0.05 alpha level

The result in table 2 shows that the main effect was significant on students’ achievement in

basic science (f1, 101=76.392; pc 0.05; partial eta square = 0.558); which gave an effect size

of 55.8 percent. Therefore, the null hypothesis which states that that there is no statistically

significant difference in students’ achievement in basic science when taught with e-learning

and modified lecture method was not accepted.

Discussion

The findings revealed that students exposed to IGELS achieved better than those exposed to

IGMLM. Also, that, the difference was significant. This finding agrees with the findings of

Sunday et al (2015), Oleabhiele (2015) and Oye et al. (2012) that, the use of e-learning

enhances the understanding of basic science concept which leads to greater achievements.

This supports the fact that, listening alone is not enough in understanding scientific concepts

therefore, the addition of the sense of sight to the sense of hearing will give added advantage

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to those students who do not have laboratories to have hands-on, and who lack other

instructional materials. However, the findings disagree with findings of Owino (2013) that,

student under the conventional study mode achieved better than those under e-learning mode.

Conclusion

The findings of the study have shown that e-learning strategy is an innovative strategy for

science teaching especially basic science. Teacher should endeavor to adopt e-learning

strategy, now that the information and communication technology has become affordable to

almost everyone. Where curriculum materials are not available, teachers and students should

use available technology rather than waiting on government, since e-learning has been seen to

enhance academic achievement of students in basic science.

Recommendations

Based on findings the following recommendations were made.

1. Government should provide e-learning materials and equipment for the secondary

schools.

2. Basic science teachers should be trained on e-learning to develop the necessary

skills on e-learning.

3. Government should provide electricity in schools.

4. Parents should provide for their wards computers or mobile phones to have access

to the internet.

5. E-learning should be part of the junior secondary school curriculum.

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