Influence of Computer Assisted Concept Mapping Instructional Strategy on Students Performance in Chemistry

Abstract

This study determined the effects of Computer Assisted Concept Mapping (CACM) instructional strategies on student’s performance in chemistry. It also sought the effects of CACM, on gender academic performance of students. The performance of students taught with CACM were compared with those students taught with lecture method (LM). To carry out the study, two research questions were asked and two hypotheses, were formulated and tested. A quasi experimental design involving three intact classes was used. The sample of the study consisted of 285 senior secondary one (SSI) chemistry students from three government owned secondary schools drawn using purposive and simple random sampling techniques from secondary schools in Zaria metropolis. One instrument, the Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) was developed and validated. An internal consistency of CAT was computed and found to be 0.79 using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). Before treatment commenced, the CAT typed in white colored paper was administered as pre-test to the students in the sampled schools. The treatment lasted for one month of five lesson periods for each group. The actual teaching was done by the regular chemistry teachers who were given special training for both experimental and control groups. After treatment session, the same instrument (CAT) which was retyped in green colored paper and the questions reshuffled was re –administered to the subjects to obtain posttest scores. T-test analysis using statistical package for social sciences version 22 was used to analyze the result which shows that students taught using CACM performed better than students taught using LM. Also the results shows that CACM is gender friendly as both male and female students perform on a similar pace. It is therefore recommended that the federal government via the federal ministry of education should provide adequate ICT facilities for schools for better science achievement in the classroom. Science teachers association of Nigeria (STAN) should organize CACM seminars and workshops for science teachers and also Colleges of education should orient students’ teachers towards adequate use of CACM in teaching science.