Impact of Computer Simulation on Students' Performance and Retention in Chemistry among Secondary School Students in Zaria Metropolis, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of computer simulation on students' performance and retention in Chemistry among secondary school students in Zaria Metropolis, Kaduna State. The study was motivated by the persistent poor performance in chemistry, largely due to traditional teaching methods that limit student engagement and hinder long-term understanding. The population of the study comprised 96 SS2 chemistry students from eight public secondary school within the Zaria Metropolis of Kaduna State. The Study employed Quasi-Experimental Design, particularly the pretest, posttest, and postposttest quasi-experimental and control group design. A sample of 30 students from two randomly selected from 96 SSII students. The study involves two groups: an experimental and a control. The experimental group was taught Organic chemistry using computer simulation while the Control Group was exposed to the same concept using Conventional Method. Two instruments were used for data collection, namely, Chemistry Perfomance Test (CPT) and Chemistry Retention Test (CRT), The instruments were validated by experts and have reliability coefficients of 0.77 and 0.81 estimated using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and Cronbach’s Alpha statistics respectively. Two research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Research questions were answered using Mean, Standard Deviation statistics while null hypotheses were tested using Independent Sample t-test and at p ≤ 0.05 level of significance. The result obtained revealed a significant difference between the mean scores of experimental and control groups in their academic performance, all in favour of the experimental group; Researcher concludes that the computer simulation enhanced academic performance and long-term retention of students. It is therefore recommended that Chemistry teachers should frequently employ computer simulation in teaching Chemistry.

Keywords: Computer simulation, Academic Performance, Retention and Chemistry, Secondary School students.