Effect of Computer-Based Programmed Instructional Strategy on Tertiary Institution Students’ Retention in Nigeria

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effect of computer-based programmed instructional strategy (CBPIS) on tertiary institutions students’ retention in Nigeria with the intention of proffering solution to the evident need to improve tertiary students’ low retention of knowledge. Three research questions and hypotheses guided the study. The study was delimited to Year two cost accounting students in the tertiary institutions in the South East zone of Nigeria. It adopted the Quasi-experimental design of pre-test, post-test non-randomized control group. Two (2) universities were simple randomly sampled for the experiment. The sampled universities were divided into two groups again by simple random sampling, one university in each group. One of the groups comprised 45 students of both gender and was used as the treatment group. The other group made up of 31 students of both gender used as the control group. All the classes used in the experiment were intact classes. The instructional package developed for the treatment group was a teaching procedure that made use of the computer-based instructional strategy while another teaching procedure that used the conventional teaching strategy was the package for the control group. The instrument for data collection was a 50-item multiple choice Cost Accounting Achievement Test (CAAT), which was face and content validated by three experts in measurement and evaluation and cost accounting experts. The reliability was tested using Kuder Richardson 20 (K-R20) estimate of reliability with a coefficient of internal consistency of 0.89 and test re test estimate of reliability with the coefficient of stability of 0.84. Data collected were analysed using mean and standard deviation for the research questions while the three null hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. Based on the data analysis, the result revealed that students taught Cost Accounting using computer-based programmed instructional strategy had significantly higher retention scores than the control group taught with conventional lecture method. The study revealed that there were no gender differences on students’ retention in Cost Accounting. Also there was no interaction effect of treatments and gender on students’ knowledge retention in Cost Accounting. The implication of the study is that Computer-based Programmed Instructional Strategy enhances students’ interaction with the learning environment which in turn helps to sustain students’ interest in learning and consequently improve students’ retention generally. It was recommended based on the findings that (i) Every Department in the tertiary institutions should be firm in ensuring that newly admitted students come along with their computer systems for effective implementation of this strategy. (ii)Lecturers and students were advised to adopt computer-base programmed instructional strategy in the teaching/learning of cost accounting and all other courses studied in the tertiary institutions. (iii) A software that can centrally monitor its usage should also be developed by software designers to guard against inappropriate application of this strategy by the students.

Keywords: Computer-based Instructional Strategy, Cost Accounting, Achievement, gender and Tertiary Institutions

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-18-09

Publication date:June 30^th 2022