EFFECT OF COMPUTER-BASED INSTRUCTION ON SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN BIOLOGY IN ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of Computer-Based Instruction (CBI) on senior secondary school students' academic performance in Biology in Adamawa State, Nigeria, with particular emphasis on gender differences. A quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test, non-equivalent control group design was adopted. The population comprised Senior Secondary II (SS II) Biology students in public secondary schools within Yola Education Zone. A sample of 291 students selected through a multi-stage sampling procedure participated in the study, with 146 students assigned to the Computer-Based Instruction group and 145 students to the lecture method group. Data were collected using the Biology Achievement Test (BAT), which was validated by experts and had a Kuder-Richardson 20 (KR-20) reliability coefficient of 0.88. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that students taught Biology using Computer-Based Instruction achieved significantly higher academic performance (mean gain = 36.59) than those taught using the lecture method (mean gain = 22.66), with a statistically significant difference, F(1, 290) = 63.41, p < .05. The study also found that gender significantly influenced students' academic performance under Computer-Based Instruction, with male students outperforming female students, F(1, 143) = 48.54, p < .05. It was concluded that Computer-Based Instruction is more effective than the conventional lecture method in improving students' academic performance in Biology. The study recommended that Biology teachers should integrate Computer-Based Instruction into classroom teaching and that schools should provide adequate ICT facilities while adopting gender-responsive instructional strategies to ensure equitable learning opportunities for all students.