ABSTRACT

The researcher designed the study to investigate the effect of computer simulation and scaffolding instructional techniques on students' academic achievement in Basic Science and Technology in Imo state of Nigeria. Six research questions were posed to guide the study while hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design pre-test, post-test non-equivalent group design. The population of the study was 5650 students from 275 government owned secondary schools in the study area. A sample of 119 students comprising 80 students in the experimental groups (40 computer simulation (22 male and 18 female), 40 scaffolding (24 male and 16 female) and 39 control group (20 male and 19 female)) drawn from three secondary schools out of the 20 government owned secondary schools in the  study area. The three schools were drawn purposively out of the 20 schools from the study area. Two schools were used for the experimental groups and one for control group respectively. The instrument, Basic Science and Technology Achievement Test (BSTAT), a 50-item, short answer questions test was developed by the researcher for the pre-test and post-test respectively and used for data collection. The instrument was validated by three experts; two in curriculum studies and one in Measurement and Evaluation. The lesson notes and the table of specifications guided in the content validation of the instrument. The instrument was trial tested to other similar students offering Basic Science and Technology who are not part of the present study. Kudar Richardson-20 (KR20) statistics was used to test reliability of the instrument resulting to reliability coefficient of 0.74.The mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test and analyze the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The results among others revealed that computer simulation and scaffolding technique methods had great influence and effect on students' academic achievement. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made: that teachers of Basic Science and Technology should apply innovative teaching methods like computer simulation and scaffolding technique methods in teaching Basic Science and Technology to enhance students’ academic achievement in schools, education administrators should make room for teachers to attend in-service training programmes for improvement in the use of innovative teaching methods such as computer simulation and scaffolding technique methods for effective learning in secondary schools. The authorities concerned should make available instructional materials and other tools and equipment that will be used in the application of these innovative method of teaching. Parents should purchase simulation games in different subjects that could be used by their children at home preparing them for smooth transit to secondary school level and eventual entry into tertiary institutions and the officials of States Ministry of Education should during supervision encourage teachers to apply computer simulation and scaffolding techniques methods of teaching in their lessons to enhance learning among students.