INNOVATIONS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MATHEMATICS EDUCATION IN NIGERIA by Ebele C. Okigbo, Nneka R. Nnorom, Ernest O. Onwukwe (the ebook reader .txt) 📖

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ENHANCING SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN COMPUTER STUDIES THROUGH THE USE OF COMPETITIVE LEARNING STRATEGY

JohnBosco O.C. Okekeokosisi

&

Prof.  Ebele .C. Okigbo

Abstract

Majority of computer studies concepts in the senior secondary school curriculum have proved to be difficult for students to learn hence, the average achievement in the subject. The study on enhancing senior secondary two (SS2) students’ academic achievement in computer studies through the use of competitive learning strategy (CLS) becomes necessary. The study was carried out in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State. The design of the study was quasi-experimental design specifically, pretest post-test non-equivalent control group design was adopted. The sample consists of 201(94 males and 107 females) SS2 computer studies students. Multistage sampling procedure was used to compose the sample from four schools.The researchers developed an instrument titled Computer Studies Achievement Test (CSAT) which was validated together with the lesson plan by two experts from science education department, measurement and evaluation and one experienced secondary school computer studies teacher. The reliability of the CSAT was determined using Kuder Richardson Formula 20 and the reliability was established to be 0.79. Researchers used their regular computer studies teachers as research assistants. Researchers also trained only experimental group teachers for the study. The research assistants carried out the study using the researchers developed lesson plan. However, the study involved two groups of subjects namely; experimental group (CLS group) and the control group. The two groups were taught the same topics using two different strategies (CLS and conventional method being the control group) respectively. Before the teaching began, test was given to the two group which served as pretest. At the end of the four weeks teaching, the groups were administered another test which was reshuffled. The reshuffled test became the post-test. The scores from each test were collected and correlated serving as pre and post achievement scores. The mean, standard deviation and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used for data analysis. The findings showed that students taught using competitive learning strategy significantly achieved higher than the students taught using the conventional method. Consequently, it was recommended among others that Computer studies teachers should be encouraged to employ competitive strategy during instructions and as well be encouraged by their employers to attend seminars, workshops and conferences to update their teaching competencies, knowledge and skills

Keywords: Academic achievement, Competitive learning, Conventional method, Computer studies

Introduction

In the present time of economic, insecurity and social challenges in Nigeria, science and vocational educators have called for effective instructional strategy that will help to restructure Nigerian education system. The desired instructional strategy needs to promote learner-centeredness in teaching-learning situation and lead to develop self-reliant citizens. Nwajiobi in Nnoli &Okafor (2017), posited that education is a veritable tool for preparing students  physically, socially, mentally, spiritually and morally to enable them live and contribute positively towards the development of the society. Hence, whenever the word education is mentioned, things that readily come to mind are the action of teaching and learning in the school which involve the teacher, the students, the material, teaching strategy and its environment.

Computer studies like Engineering occupies central position in practical learning namely knowledge, skill acquisition and development. Computer studies is a subject that introduces individual to the global world. It is an aspect of vocational, science and technology education (VSTE). The much desired vocational, science and technology education (VSTE) of the citizenry for life -long learning can be achieved when students acquire basic education in computer studies before leaving secondary school. The Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN, 2013) stated the aims of VSTE to include life-long learning, preparing for responsible citizens and for occupation in the world of work. It is expected to produce skilled citizenry who can tackle the economic and societal challenges.

Computer studies is better taught by competent teachers who can guide students towards use of interactive instructional strategy that can prepare, evaluate and equip learners to be able to tackle the economic, insecurity and social challenges in our country, Nigeria (Okekeokosisi, 2018). Okekeokosisi added that such plans will help in achieving the nation’s desired educational goal and enable students achieve better in external examination. There is no doubt that if solid foundation is given to learners quite early in their primary education, average achievement and lack of skills associated with computer studies will come to an end. Okigbo and Okekeokosisi (2016) and Okeke (2014) revealed that instructional strategies mostly utilized by computer studies teachers are teacher-centered which affects students’ performance. According to Akudolu (2012), any instructional strategy to be utilized by teachers needs to be interactive, educative and supplement facilitator’s verbal efforts. Hence the problem of the present study is would competitive learning strategy could improve academic achievement of secondary school students in computer studies?

Competitive learning strategy (CLS) can be both individualistic and group learning. CLS can be individualistic where an individual learner within a classroom competes for a price or reward set for effective learning of the desired skill. Individualistic learning can be defined as a form of learning by which individual learners work independently from the efforts of other learners to attain the desired learning goals. Johnson and Johnson (1999) defined individualistic learning as working by oneself to ensure that one’s own learning meets a present criterion independently from the efforts of the other students.

On the other hand, CLS can be group learning. In this case, the teacher guides students to form groups and select group leaders to guide the groups’ activities towards achieving the desired goals or skills. In group learning, the teacher provides prompt whereas the more capable learner guides the group in the learning process. The teacher’s work is to monitor the groups’ activities, encourage individual students’ active participation and provide guidance where necessary. In the process of monitoring the groups, the teacher can decide to ask individual learners questions and reward them individually by scoring marks in accordance with their responses and performance in skills. The teacher can as well decide to reward the groups. In the words of Galvin (1996) defined CLS is described as a group planed learning activities that represents a significant shift away from the typical teacher centered to learner -centered learning. It entails that CLSprovides learner active participation in the learning process.Okekeokosisi (2018) highlighted that CLS could be co-circular activity which develops creativity and problem solving skills. Students are not simply taking in information or ideas; rather, they are creating something new with the information and ideas. These acts of intellectual processing of meaningful learning and knowledge construction are crucial to learning. It means that CLS is a motivating tool for effective learning. Rohrbeck, Ginsburg, Fontuzzo and Miller (2003) pointed out that CLS enhances students’ partnership and participation which links high achieving students with lower achieving ones for structured reading, discussion and information exchange among students during instructional delivery.

In the present study, the teachers of the experimental group (CLS group) demonstrated the process of assembling and dissembling the computer system before the students after some experiment. The teachers asked the students questions on the process performed before them.

On the next lesson, the students formed groups and chose their leaders under the guidance of the teachers. The teacher asked some groups to assemble and the other groups to dissemble the computer system vis-a-vis. The teacher as the coach went around monitoring the groups, encouraging individual participation and asking questions. The students’ take turns in the activities. The teacher scored marks on individual skills. Groups were rewarded too. The groups’ score was determined by the average marks of the group member. The group that scored higher was the winner. The implication is that students that show lower performance can reach to high level achievement through co-circular activity that can spur the students to achieve higher.

Conventional method (CM) of teaching is teacher-centred. It is students peripheral teaching approach in which the teacher delivers a pre-planned lesson to the students with or without the use of instructional materials. The method is important when the teacher has information to pass to the learners. There are situations in which CM is inevitable. According to Onwuka in Opara (2006), CM of teaching is necessary when the teacher wants to present new information or explain certain events of things. The method becomes important when the teacher wants students to gain a better understanding of a topic or subject matter to arouse students’ interest and where resources and time are limited. The method therefore allows for a wider coverage of subject content within a period of time and teaching large number of students at the same time. Despite the advantages of CM, achievement of students in computer studies has not been encouraging. Following this, the present study attempts to consider a teaching strategy that could spur students’ high achievement through monitoring and guided co-circular activities. It is a quest to make teaching-learning process learner-centered that CLS is introduced for this study. Perhaps, this strategy could help the students to learn computer studies effectively.

Achievement is another important aspect of discussion which have been lamented for the past four years by educational bodies, institutions of learning and industrialists over the persistent average achievement of students in the computer studies (Okekeokosisi & Okeke, 2015; Ogbonne & Offorma, 2013). Available Chief Examiners Reports of West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from 2014 to 2016 on computer studies revealed that learners have little knowledge of the subject matter, lack of knowledge of keywords in defining computer terms, difficult to solve basic programming, lack of understanding of acronyms use in computer, misinterpretation of computer file as database file, inability to differentiate between data and information, confusion between algorithm and flow chart, poor handwriting, spelling mistakes among others. The Chief Examiners attributed average performance to the use of conventional teaching method by computer studies teachers. The perennial persistent average performance in this important subject at the secondary school level has mal the reading consequences on our nation. This resulted to inadequate number of students qualified to offer computer education as a course in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, poor economy, poor industrialization, lack of job opportunities as well as unfriendly environment (insecurity) and the like (Njoku, 2008). In view of this, there is need for a serious improvement on senior secondary school student’s achievement in computer studies without further delay. This could be done through an effective instructional strategy. It is acclaimed that competitive learning strategy fosters learner-centeredness and creativity (Rohrbeck et al, 2003). Therefore, this study sought to find out whether CLS could enhance students’ achievement in computer studies.

Statement of the problem

There is evidence that researchers have continued to arrest the average achievement of students, yet available WASSCE Chief Examiners Reports from 2014 to 2016 proved that the problem still exists. Many factors have been fingered at as mentioned in the background. To curb students persistent average achievement, calls for effective student centered strategy which had been reported as one of the methods of improving achievement in science generally (Offiah & Okonkwo, 2011). The problem is would the use of competitive learning strategy in teaching computer studies to secondary school students improve their achievement in the subject?

Purpose of the study

The main purpose of this study was to investigate whether