Assessment of Instructional Efficacy of Social Media on Students’ Achievement in Measurement and Units

Abstract

The study ascertains the instructional efficacy of social media on students’ achievement in measurement and units. Two research questions and hypotheses guided the study. Quasi-experimental design of non-equivalent control group design was adopted. The study was carried out in Nsukka Local Government Area (LGA) of Enugu State. The population of the study is two thousand, eight hundred and eight- five (2885)(1392 males and 1493 female ) senior secondary class one (SS1) students in the 30 public senior secondary schools in Nsukka LGA. Fifty-nine (59) (26 males and 33 females) SS1 students were selected from two intact classes sampled for the study formed the sample. Purposive sampling technique was first used to select two schools with similar characteristics. Measurement and Unit Achievement Test (MUAT) was used for data collection. Two reliability estimates were employed; they are estimate of temporal stability and estimate of internal consistency using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Cronbach Alpha formulae with the following reliability indices, 0.72 and 0.75 gotten.  The experimental group was taught using lecture method lesson note built on  Whatsapp social media platform  while the control group was taught using lecture method only. Before the treatment, the two groups were pretested using MUAT. After the treatment, MUAT was reshuffled and administered as post-test to the two groups and their scores collated.   Mean and standard deviation were used to answer all the research questions while the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Findings revealed a significant difference in the academic achievement of students taught measurement and units using lecture method built on social media (Whatsapp) and those taught using lecture method only in favor of group taught using lecture method built on social media ( Whatsapp) and that gender has no influence on students’ academic achievement in measurement and units when taught using lecture method built on social media (Whatsapp). Based on the findings the researchers recommended among others that  lecture method built on social media platform like WhatsApp should be adopted by science teachers because it enhances the academic achievement of the students, save instructional time when managed properly, and reduces the limitations of lecture method of being teacher dominated.