Impact of Physical and Virtual Laboratories on Geography Learning Outcomes among Senior Secondary School Students in North Central Nigeria

Impact of Physical and Virtual Laboratories on Geography Learning Outcomes among Senior Secondary School Students in North Central Nigeria.

Abstract:

This study examines the impact of physical and virtual laboratories on learning outcomes in Geography among senior secondary school students in North Central Nigeria. A quasi-experimental research design was employed, addressing nine research questions and testing nine hypotheses. The population of the study consisted of 819,908 students in senior secondary schools in North Central Nigeria. Cluster sampling, purposive sampling, and random sampling were used to select 768 students from twelve co-educational secondary schools in the region. The schools were assigned to three groups: experimental group I (Physical Laboratory), experimental group II (Virtual Laboratory), and Control Group (Lecture Method). Data collection involved a Geography Achievement Test (GAT) comprising 30 items covering topics in cross-section, contour representation of landforms, and relief features in physical geography. Pre-tests, post-tests, and retention tests were conducted, and a Questionnaire on Attitude of Students Towards Geography (QASG) was used to collect data on students’ attitudes. The instruments were validated by experts, with a reliability coefficient of 0.76 for GAT and 0.70 for QASG determined through Pearson product-moment correlation and Cronbach alpha formula. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation), inferential statistics (ANOVA and ANCOVA), and the Sidak post hoc test were used for data analysis. The hypotheses were tested at a significance level of 0.05. The results revealed a significant difference in achievement among the three groups (F (2, 764) = 1654.14, p < 0.05), as well as a significant difference in mean retention scores (F (1, 264) = 47.85, p < 0.05). Consequently, it is recommended that physical and virtual laboratories be implemented as teaching strategies for geography concepts in senior secondary schools, as they have been shown to improve students' achievement in the subject Impact of Physical and Virtual Laboratories on Geography Learning Outcomes among Senior Secondary School Students in North Central Nigeria. GET MORE ACTUARIAL SCIENCE PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS

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