EFFECTS OF COMPUTER SIMULATION ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND RETENTION IN GEOGRAPHY AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT The study investigated the Effects of Computer Simulation on Academic Achievement and Retention in Geography Among Secondary School Students in Niger State. Gender and retention was considered. One hundred and sixty (120) students were selected from the four secondary schools in Minna Metropolis. The research design was pretest- posttest control group design. The experimental group taught with Computer Simulation Package (CSP) and the control group taught using the lecture method. The research materials were developed by the researcher and validated by experts. Geography Achievement Test (GAT) of 20 items was validated by experts for data collection. The data collected were analyzed using the mean, standard deviation and t-test statistics in relation to the associated hypotheses which were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Four (4) research questions and four (4) hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the use of CSP or computer software for teaching and learning should be encouraged in schools. It was observed that the use of CSP enhanced the teaching and learning of geography among students.