A Comparative Study of Virtual and Traditional Field Trips on Secondary School Students’ Performance and Retention of Pollution Concepts in Zamfara State
*1Balkisu Adamu, R. U. Okoro, Faruku Aliyu & M. M. Furfuri
*1,2,3&4Department of Sciences Education, Sokoto State University, Nigeria Email: adamubalkisu@gmail.com
Abstract
This study compared the Effects of Virtual and Traditional Field Trips on Secondary School Students’ performance and Retention of Pollution Concepts in Zamfara State. The study adopted quasi-experimental design involving experimental and control groups. The population of the study consists of 806 SS 1 Biology students from 8 Science Secondary Schools in Zamfara State, comprising 658 boys and 148 girls. A purposive sampling technique was used to select two schools with comparable characteristics. A total of 102 students were obtained from the two intact classes selected. The instruments used for data collection was pollution performance test (alternative A and B). Alternative A was used for pretest and posttest while alternative B was used for post-posttest. The instrument was validated by one experienced biology teacher and one test and measurement expert. A reliability coefficient of 0.76 and 0.80 were obtained for alternative A and B respectively after pilot study. The statistical tools used for data analyses include Mean, Standard Deviation and independent t-test. Findings revealed that secondary school students taught pollution concepts using virtual field trips performed better compared to those taught with physical field trips. Conversely, the result also indicated that students learned about pollution through physical field trips had better long-term retention than those experienced the concept using virtual field trip. It is recommended that, government should endeavour to equip all secondary schools within the state with resources need for virtual learning, as technology is seen to improved students’ performance and retention of pollution concepts.
Keywords
Virtual Field Trips, Physical Field Trips, performance, Retention, Pollution Concept, Secondary School Students
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