Effects of Video-Assisted Instructional Package on Secondary School Students’ Achievement in Photosynthesis in Omu-Aran, Nigeria

Abstract

Photosynthesis has been identified as a difficult biology topic for students due to their inability to visualize the stages and experimental procedures associated with it. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of video-assisted instruction on senior secondary school students' achievement in photosynthesis in Omu-Aran, Nigeria. The study investigated whether or not there will be gains in students’ achievement in photosynthesis when taught using video-assisted instruction, and the interaction effect of gender and cognitive style on the achievement. The study was a quasi-experimental research. The sample for the study was 109 and consisted male and female students from two co-educational schools. Two tests (pre- and post-) designed by the researchers were validated by three lecturers in science education. The instruments were found to have a high reliability as the reliability index obtained was 0.72. Data were analyzed using t-test and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that video-assisted instructional package improved students’ academic achievement in photosynthesis. Also, gender and cognitive style were observed to have no effect on students’ achievement when taught photosynthesis using the package and there were no interaction effects among the cognitive style and gender categories on achievement in photosynthesis. The study concluded that the use of video assisted instructional package was effective in improving the achievement of students in photosynthesis irrespective of gender and their cognitive style. Based on the findings of the study, Biology teachers should be encouraged to use video-assisted instructional package for teaching photosynthesis in senior secondary schools to improve learning outcomes.