<b>COMPARATIVE STUDY OF VIRTUAL AND PHYSICAL LABORATORIES ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN ELECTRIC CIRCUITS AMONG POLYTECHNIC STUDENTS IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA</b>

Abstract

This study investigated the comparative effects of virtual and physical laboratory instructional approaches on the academic performance of polytechnic students in electric circuits in North-East Nigeria, with particular attention to gender differences and interaction effects. A pre-test–post-test non-equivalent group quasi-experimental design was adopted. The population comprised 554 ND II Electrical/Electronics Engineering students across 12 polytechnics in the region, from which a sample of 194 students was drawn using simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Students were assigned to two experimental groups: Virtual Laboratory and Physical Laboratory. Data were collected using the Electric Circuits Academic Performance Test (ECAPT), adapted from NBTE-moderated ND examination questions and validated by experts, with a reliability coefficient of 0.85. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer research questions, while hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at the 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed that students taught using virtual laboratories achieved significantly higher post-test mean scores than those taught using physical laboratories. A significant difference was also found in the academic performance of male and female students, with males recording slightly higher mean scores. However, the interaction effect of teaching method and gender on academic performance was not significant, indicating that both male and female students benefited similarly from the virtual laboratory approach. The study concluded that virtual laboratories are a more effective and inclusive instructional strategy for teaching electric circuits in polytechnics in North-East Nigeria and recommended their integration into polytechnic engineering curricula to enhance learning outcomes.