ABSTRACT
The study sought to investigate effect of integration of Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) on students’ mastery of chemistry in secondary schools in Murang’a South Sub – County, Kenya. Documentary evidence indicate students’ persistent poor performance in the subject in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) not only for Murang’a Sub – County students’ but for the country at large. The poor performance has been attributed to among other factors poor teaching methodologies adopted by classroom teachers in teaching the subject. Literature shows that integration of CAL in the teaching and learning of the subject enhances classroom pedagogical approach leading to improved performance. However, limited empirical data exist on the efficacy of use of the method in secondary school in Kenya. Therefore, an experimental study was designed to determine the effect use of CAL on students’ mastery and achievement in chemistry. The objectives of the study were to compare effects of use of CAL and traditional methods on the academic achievement in chemistry, to investigate the effect of use of CAL on students’ achievement based on gender and effect of use of CAL on students achievement in chemistry based on age. The study sample consisted of 297 form two secondary school students drawn from six
(6) secondary schools using purposive and simple random sampling. The sample was divided into an experimental and control group with each consisting of 138 and 159 respectively. A pre-test instrument prepared by the researcher was administered to each of the two groups at the beginning of the study, the experimental group was exposed to CAL method of instruction developed by the Kenya Institute of Education (K.I.E) consisting of drills, tutorials and simulations while the control group was exposed to traditional methods in teaching of carbon
(IV) oxide. At the end of the treatment, a post-test instrument which had been developed by the researcher was administered to each of the groups. Data obtained from the instruments were analysed descriptively using frequency and percentages and inferentially using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 17 computer software. The ANOVA results showed that students in the experimental group had higher level of mastery as compared to those in the control group (P=0.01) indicating that it is a better method of instruction. Similarly, the results showed that use of CAL promoted mastery of chemistry for boys as compared to girls (P=0.023) though its impact on students mastery based on age was found to be insignificant (P=0.154). It is therefore recommended that schools be adequately equipped with ICT infrastructure to enable use of CAL, relevant policy guidelines for integration of CAL in the teaching and learning process be formulated and implemented and teachers empowered to integrate CAL in teaching and learning of chemistry.
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
This chapter describes the background of the study. It also gives a highlight on performance of sciences in Murang’a South, a Sub -County of Murang’a County for the last six years. The chapter ventures on statement of the problem and consequently the objectives of the research. Being an experimental study, some research hypothesis was formulated to guide the study. Other subtitles under this chapter included, significance of the research, assumption of the research, and delimitation of the research, theoretical frame work and conceptual frame work. Lastly some of the terms used were defined as used in the study.
Background of the Study.
Educational technology is the effective use of technological tools in learning and incorporates numerous types of media that deliver e.g. text books, audio CDs, photographs and animated information in the teaching and learning process. Similarly, it encompasses technological applications and processes such as audio or video tape, satellite TV, CD-ROM, and web-based learning as well as computer assisted learning, (Garrison, (2011)). A computer is a general purpose device that can be programmed to carry out a set of logical operations. Computers as technological tools have been used to teach, manage, show and communicate information which makes them unique compared the other learning devices (Georges, (2001)). Computer assisted learning (CAL) is a method, which uses a computer in the teaching and learning, thereby strengthening students’ motivation and education in the process. In other words, use of CAL creates a learning environment where a computer program, or its application is used to assist in teaching and learning of a particular subject. This is because the use of CAL gives
opportunities to both students and teachers to learn at their speed and combine active learning with CAL. (Daintith, (2004)).
According to Daintith and Wright (2008), over the last two decades, the use of CAL has become more and more widespread and important especially in difficult subjects, more specifically in the sciences. Several reasons have been advanced by researchers for the use of CAL to support educational programs, chemistry education included. Among these is the capability to provide information in form of text, graph, audio, video, picture, animation and simulation which aids in strengthening student’s mastery level. There is a form of one-to-one instruction and the opportunity for the students to proceed at their own pace, repeating parts of the exercise as they wish, none of which are available in a didactic classroom situation. In addition, there is the added variety and, perhaps, novelty in CAL, along with the potential to use vivid and animated graphics, enabling three dimensional aspects, and other features to be viewed more realistically (Sanger and Greenbowe, (2000)).
In the United States of America, CAL has long been considered as a method for addressing school improvement since it offers advantages over traditional instruction. CAL involves a one-on-one interaction, multimedia capabilities that enrich the lesson presentations, self-pacing and instantaneous feedback. (Zhao and Lei, (2012)). The report illustrates that CAL has positive effects on students’ achievements and attitudes. In addition, Fraser, Walberg, Welch and Hattie (1987) noted that the use of computers for instruction resulted in increased student interest, cooperation, achievement in science, and coverage of science curriculum. According to Bangert, and Kulik (1987), students receiving CAL learn better and faster, and students’ scores on delayed tests indicate that
the retention of content learned using CAL is superior to retention following traditional instruction.
Similar studies in Europe supports the fact that CAL is an effective tool in enhancing student’s level of mastery in chemistry. In a study on the overall effectiveness of CAL in teaching chemistry, biology and physics in Turkey, the results indicated that CAL has a positive effect on the academic achievement of students. Pontecorvo et al (1997) in a study to assess the effects of CAL on attitudes, motivation or learning, and the possible advantages of computer-assisted learning programs among secondary school students also reported a higher achievement rate for the experimental group that received CAL than those in the control group who were exposed to traditional methods of instruction. Likewise, Levine and Donitsa (1997) compared the effects of traditional learning strategies to CAL in applications and the assessment using chemistry Achievement Test on students and the results of the evaluations showed that students in the experimental group were more successful at answering questions than those in the control group.
Similar results were reported by Yalcinalp, Geban and Ozkan, (1995) among 6th grade chemistry students (Park, Lee and Kim, (2009)) among secondary school level learners. Similarly, in a study where the traditional and the computer assisted learning methods were used in teaching acids and bases in secondary chemistry ,a 52% improvement was observed in the post-instruction test results of the students of the experimental group whereas the control group only improved by 31%. The independent two-sample t-test was applied for the evaluation of the results and they were significantly different (Morgil, (2005)). The significant positive influence of CAL on the student’s achievement in chemistry has also been supported by Ranade (2006) and Bollinger (1986) whose conclusion was that CAL provides greater opportunities to the students to learn and brings
a new kind of experiences for the students in secondary schools thus it is better than the traditional method of learning chemistry.
