1. Students exposed to computer-based self-learning instructional puzzle agreed that the package is useful in enhancing learning,
2. Students exposed to computer-based self-learning instructional puzzle attested to the fact that the package can easily be used by students to facilitate learning.
3. Students‟ perceived usefulness and ease of use have positive relationship which implies that the perceived usefulness of the package enhanced the ease of use.
4. There is no significant main effect of treatment on students‟ attitude towards social studies. Students‟ attitude to social studies maintains the pre-treatment high level.
5. There is significant main effect of treatment on students‟ achievement in social studies.
Students exposed to computer-based self-learning instructional puzzle significantly performed better than those in the conventional group.
6. There is significant main effect of treatment on students‟ retention in social studies.
Students exposed to computer-based self-learning instructional puzzle significantly performed better than those in the conventional group in the delayed test.
7. There is no significant main effect of gender on students‟ attitude, achievement and retention in social studies.
8. There is no significant main effect of cognitive style on students‟ attitude, achievement and retention in social studies.
9. There is no significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on students‟ attitude, achievement and retention in social studies.
10.There is no significant interaction effect of treatment and cognitive style on students‟
attitude, achievement and retention in social studies.
11. There is no significant interaction effect of gender and cognitive style on students‟
attitude, achievement and retention in social studies
12.There is no significant interaction effect of treatment, gender and cognitive style on students‟ attitude, achievement and retention in social studies.
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DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter presents the discussion and implications of findings, conclusion, recommendations and suggestions for further studies as well as contributions to knowledge.
5.1 Discussion of Findings
5.1.1 Students’ Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use of the Computer-based Self-learning Instructional Package
The findings of this study reveal positive perception of the computer-based self-learning instructional package in terms of usefulness and ease of use. There is positive relationship between the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of the package. This implies that the package is accepted by the students as having the capability of facilitating learning and can easily be worked on thereby making it an acceptable instructional strategy in social studies classroom.
The positive relationship between the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use further lays credence to the positive disposition of the students towards the package. This submission is in line with that of Dillon and Morris (1996) and Nida (2006) who posit that the perception of new software by the user would determine the acceptance. The acceptance of the package could be attributed to the design of the package which requires little computer literacy ability on the part of the students to make use of it. The incorporation of elements such as immediate knowledge of results, reinforcement, learning in a relaxed environment coupled with the interactive nature of the package and element of fun could also facilitate the acceptance. The finding corroborates Munoz (2007) which asserts favourable disposition of children to the use of computer, it also lays credence to Singh (2009). The finding further supports Adebowale, Adewale and Oyediran (2010) which reveal high level of interest, approval and confidence in the use of computer-based instructional strategy and its related concerns by secondary school students. The students‟
perception shows that the computer-based self-learning instructional strategy is an acceptable strategy among Junior Secondary School (JS) social studies‟ students.
5.1.2 Effect of Treatment on Students’ Attitude, Achievement and Retention
The findings of the study show there is no significant effect of treatment on students‟
attitude towards social studies. Though the control group had higher attitudinal score at the posttest level, the difference is not significant and therefore could not be attributed to the treatment. The pre-treatment attitude score was positive and the situation remained positive after the treatment which implies that the treatment did not have negative effect on students‟ attitude
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towards social studies. The study further reveals that there is significant main effect of treatment on students‟ achievement and retention in social studies. The experimental group significantly performed better than the control group as reflected by the mean scores obtained in the posttest and delayed test. This implies that the computer-based self-learning instructional puzzle is more effective in facilitating learning and enhancing recall which lends credence to the findings of Aremu and Ayelaagbe (1997), Coulter (2003), Ann (2006), Kaka (2008), Ackert (2009) and, Rubinstein, Dhoble and Ferenchick (2009), Bogar, Kalender and Sarikaya (2012), Awad and Fikry (2013) which reveal the effectiveness of instructional puzzle in facilitating academic achievement. The study further affirms the findings of Adedoja, Abidoye and Afolabi (2013) on the efficacy of instructional puzzles in facilitating learning outcomes in social studies. The interactivity, fun, practice, immediate knowledge of result, self-learning and minimal level of anxiety which are the basic features of the instructional package could account for the significant effect of treatment on learning outcomes and retention in line with the findings of scholars such as Oladele (2004), Morris and Liu (2009), Edwin (2010) and Dale (2011). The finding further supports the postulation of Akinleye (2010) that information does not become knowledge automatically until the learner is actively involved in its processing, The significant effect of treatment on academic achievement and retention can further be explained by the theory of connectionism that stimulus-response association are strengthened through repetition which implies that drill or practice enhances learning and retention. The presentation of the instruction via a medium acceptable to the learner coupled with the incorporation of reinforcement as stipulated by the theory could be responsible for the significance effect of the computer-based self-learning strategy on students‟ academic achievement and retention.
5.1.3 Effect of Gender on Students’ Attitude, Achievement and Retention in Social Studies The results of the study further show that gender has no significant effect on students‟
learning outcomes and retention in social studies. This implies that gender as a moderator variable did not account for the significant effect of treatment on learning outcomes and retention in this study. The study corroborates Abdulrahman (2008), Maliki, Ngban and Ibu (2009), Arisi (2011) and Oludipe (2012) that there is no significant effect of gender on learning outcomes. The study further reveals lack of gender influence on students‟ academic achievement in social studies as asserted by Adeosun (2002), Abdu-Raheem (2010), Abdu-Raheem (2012). The study also attests to lack of gender influence on retention as revealed by Abdu-Raheem (2010) and Abdu-Raheem (2012) but contradicts the finding of Adeosun (2002) and Adeosun (2008) which placed female in a vantage position with respect to retention in social studies. The study also contradicts Okeke
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(1999), Awoniyi (2000), Afuwape and Oludipe (2008) who attribute difference in students‟
learning outcomes to gender influence. The gender neutrality of the package reveals the possibility of bridging the technological gender gap which has been identified by Canada and Brusca (1991) and Aremu and Fasan (2011) through the adoption of the package as instructional strategy in social studies classroom. The fact that gender has no significant effect shows that the instructional package developed based on the theory of connectionism is not inclined to influence learning towards a particular sex. It further shows that personal characteristics are to be looked into in determining the academic achievement and retention of students rather than gender when it involves the use of computer-based self-learning instructional puzzles in social studies.
5.1.4 Effect of Cognitive Style on Students’ Attitude, Academic Achievement and Retention in Social Studies
The findings of this study reveal that there is no significant main effect of cognitive style on students‟ learning outcomes and retention in social studies. This implies that the noticeable improvement in students‟ academic achievement and retention was not due to the cognitive style of the learners, This result supports Morrison and Frick (1994), Steel (2003), Altun and Cakan (2006) that there is no significant effect of cognitive style on students‟ learning outcomes but ran contrary to that of Tinajero and Paramo (1997), Hall (2000) and Arisi (2011), and Nnodi, Onuigbo and Eze (2012) who asserts significant difference in students‟ academic achievement on the platform of cognitive style. The cognitive style neutrality of the instructional package implies that the package could be used to enhance academic achievement and retention of students of diverse cognitive style.
5.1.5 Interaction Effect of Treatment and Gender on Students’ Attitude, Achievement and Retention in Social Studies
The results of the study show no significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on students‟ learning outcomes and retention in social studies. This implies that the noticeable improvement in students‟ achievement and retention can solely be attributed to the treatment. The gender neutrality of the strategy implies that its use in instructional delivery in social studies classroom would be of equal benefit to male and female social studies students.
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5.1.6 Interaction Effect of Treatment and Cognitive Style on Students’ Attitude, Achievement and Retention in Social Studies
The study shows that the two-way interaction effect of treatment and cognitive style on students‟ attitude, achievement and retention in social studies is not significant. This implies that treatment combined with cognitive style does not contribute significantly to students‟ attitude, achievement and retention in social studies thereby contradicting Chou (2001). The cognitive style neutral-enhancing of the instructional package shows that using it as an instructional strategy in social studies classroom would enhance learning outcomes and retention among learners of diverse cognitive style.
5.1.7 Interaction Effect of Gender and Cognitive Style on Students’ Attitude, Achievement and Retention in Social Studies
On the interaction effects of gender and cognitive style, the study found no significant interaction effect of the variables on learning outcomes and retention. This implies that the combined effect of gender and cognitive style did not influence students‟ learning outcomes and retention in relation to the strategy there by affirming Chou (2001) and Awofala and Nneji (2012), findings.
5.1.8 Interaction Effect of Treatment, Gender and Cognitive Style on Students’ Attitude, Achievement and Retention in Social Studies
The interaction effect of treatment, gender and cognitive style on students‟ learning outcomes and retention was also not significant. This shows that if the treatment is given to students‟ of different gender and cognitive style, similar results would be achieved in students‟
learning outcomes and retention in social studies. This result contradicted the finding of Chou (2001) and Awofala and Nneji (2012).