Effects of Computer Game-Based Teaching Strategy on Junior Secondary Schools Computer Studies Students’ Retention Abilities and Gender in Rivers State

Abstract

The study investigated the effects of computer game-based teaching strategy on Computer Studies students’ retention abilities and gender in junior secondary schools. Two research questions guided the study while three null hypotheses were formulated and tested at .05 level of significance. The quasi-experimental research design was adopted for the study. A total of 2,162 students of public junior secondary schools in Ogba Education Zone made up the population of the study. 380 students from 4 intact classes were sampled using the census sampling technique. A structured 30-item validated Computer Studies Retention Test (CSRT) was used for data collection. Three experts validated the instrument and an overall reliability index of .73 was obtained using Kuder-Richardson20. Data related to the research questions were analyzed using mean and standard deviation while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) statistics was used to test the null hypotheses. The finding revealed that students taught Computer Studies using game-based teaching strategy have higher retention ability scores than those taught with the expository method. The study also revealed that female students had higher retention ability scores than the male students taught Computer Studies using computer game-based strategy. This implied that the female students benefited from the use of computer game-based strategy than their male counterparts. It was concluded that using game-based teaching strategy is effective in improving students’ retention abilities in Computer Studies. It was therefore, recommended that Computer Studies teachers should adopt and utilize the computer game-based teaching strategy as a teaching pedagogy in junior secondary schools. This is because, the strategy facilitated the attainment of higher retention abilities in students, among others.