Gender Differences in the Effectiveness of Metacognitive Instructional Strategy in Architectural Drawing

Abstract

This study investigated gender differences in the effectiveness of metacognitive instructional strategies on students' academic achievement, retention, and attitudes in architectural drawing. A quasi-experimental design with post-intervention gender comparisons was employed, using a census approach involving 65 undergraduate students (10 females and 55 males) from the Department of Industrial and Technology Education, Federal University of Technology, Minna and Department of Technology Education, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria. Instruction was delivered exclusively through a metacognitive teaching strategy without exposure to other instructional methods. Data were collected using Architectural Drawing Achievement Test (ADAT) and an Attitude Towards Architectural Drawing Inventory (ATADI). Analysis involved descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test at a 0.05 significance level and effect size calculations. The results indicated no significant gender differences in academic achievement (p = 0.987) and retention (p = 0.945) among students taught using the metacognitive instructional strategy. Although female students demonstrated a slightly more positive attitude than male students, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.088). These findings suggest that the metacognitive instructional strategy is equally effective for both male and female students in enhancing academic achievement, retention, and fostering positive attitudes in architectural drawing. The study recommends the broader adoption of metacognitive instructional strategies in architectural drawing and technical drawing to promote equitable learning outcomes across genders.