ERIC Number: EJ742381
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Oct
Pages: 14
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1055-8896
EISSN: N/A
Improving Students' Understanding and Perception of Cell Theory in School Biology Using a Computer-Based Instruction Simulation Program
Kiboss, Joel; Wekesa, Eric; Ndirangu, Mwangi
Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, v15 n4 p397-410 Oct 2006
A survey by the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) revealed that students' academic performance and interest in secondary school biology has been generally poor. This has been attributed to the current methods of instruction and the lack of instructional resources amenable to the study and proper understanding of such complex areas as cell theory. The study reported here assessed the effects of a computer-based instruction simulation (CBIS) program developed for the teaching of school biology, as part of a classroom innovation for science instruction to improve students' understanding and perception of cell theory. This article presents results of an empirical evaluation undertaken over a four-week period with 102 form three students in Nakuru district. Comparisons of the pretest and posttest data of the experimental group (E[1]) and two control groups (C) and (E[2]) was used to determine the students' learning gains with respect to their understanding and perception of cell theory. An analysis of the results showed that the CBIS program resulted in significant learning gains and better perceptions towards the cell division topic in school biology. In addition to corroborating earlier findings on the effectiveness of the use of educational media and hypermedia to improve students' academic achievement and affective behaviors, the study concludes that the innovation has major implications for improving those areas of science that are difficult to teach and learn using the regular methods and should therefore be integrated into the existing school curriculum. (Contains 6 tables.)
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Student Attitudes, Cytology, Biology, Science Instruction, Computer Assisted Instruction, Academic Achievement, Secondary School Students, Secondary School Science, Instructional Innovation, Pretests Posttests, Experimental Groups, Control Groups, Comparative Analysis, Educational Media, Program Effectiveness
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. P.O. Box 1545, Chesapeake, VA 23327-1545. Tel: 757-366-5606; Fax: 703-997-8760; e-mail: info@aace.org; Web site: http://www.aace.org.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Kenya
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A