EFFECTS OF COMPUTER SIMULATION STRATEGIES ON STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT AND ACQUISITION OF SKILLS IN PRACTICAL PHYSICS.

Abstract

The study was designed to determine the effectiveness of of computer simulations strategies on students’ achievement and acquisition of skills in practical Physics. A non-randomized pre-test, post-test control group of quasi-experimental Research design was adopted, with a sample of 315 SS II Physics students drawn by Multistage sampling techniques from six co-educational schools in Educational District III for the study. Instruments such as Practical Physics Achievement Test (PPAT) with reliability coefficient of 0.71, Practical skill rating scale (PSRS) with reliability coefficient of Manipulative skills = 0.81, Measurement skills=0.79, Observation skills=0.72, Mathematical Skills=0.76, Drawing Skills = 0.71, Graphing Skills= 1.0 and Inferring and Generalization skills= 0.83 were validated by experts for data collection. Students in the experimental group Sfollowed the demonstration of the experiment using Simulation method while those in the control group followed the demonstration of the experiment using the conventional method. The data collected were analyzed using Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and Estimated Marginal Means at 0.05 level of significance. The major findings from this study include the following: The students in the experimental group (Simulations) instructional strategies had a higher mean in the achievement and acquisition of practical skills than their counter parts in the control group (conventional) instructional strategy. The results revealed that the use of simulations significantly improved students’ achievement and acquisition of skills in Practical Physics. Hence, this study suggests the need for Physics teachers to lay less emphasis on Conventional laboratory method, which is expository in nature. Based on the findings, recommendations were made which includes Physics teachers to use Simulations into teaching laboratory Physics.