Improving Student's Engagement in Physics using Computer Assisted Instruction Method

Contemporary society has witnessed a growing trend of technological innovations in the educational landscape. The phenomenon has been widely integrated into the education system of Nigeria. Perhaps, researchers have deployed different computer technologies to enhance student's performance in varying subjects. The present study aims to determine whether computer-assisted instructional methods would affect students' engagement in physics in secondary school. A total of one hundred and eighty-seven secondary school students were drawn from eight public secondary schools in Ankpa and Lokoja in Kogi state as the study's participants. The study adopted aquasi-experimental pre-test, post-test study design. The result revealed a significant difference in student's engagement in physics between the students taught with the computer-assisted instructional method and those taught with the conventional way at MD = 5.08, t (185) = 7.328, p = .000. Thus, the study concludes that a computer-assisted instructional method is an indispensable tool that could influence students' engagement in physics, especially among secondary school students. The practical implications and recommendations are discussed.

Contemporary society has witnessed a growing trend of technological innovations in the educational landscape. The phenomenon has been widely integrated into the education system of Nigeria. Perhaps, researchers have deployed different computer technologies to enhance student's performance in varying subjects. The present study aims to determine whether computer-assisted instructional methods would affect students' engagement in physics in secondary school. A total of one hundred and eighty-seven secondary school students were drawn from eight public secondary schools in Ankpa and Lokoja in Kogi state as the study's participants. The study adopted aquasi-experimental pretest, post-test study design. The result revealed a significant difference in student's engagement in physics between the students taught with the computer-assisted instructional method and those taught with the conventional way at MD = 5.08, t (185) = 7.328, p = .000. Thus, the study concludes that a computer-assisted instructional method is an indispensable tool that could influence students' engagement in physics, especially among secondary school students. The practical implications and recommendations are discussed.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….... Introduction:-
Integration of technology in the education system is currently trending in every society, especially in developing nations. Researchers have applauded the utilization of computer-assisted instructional methods in the classroom to enhance student's participation, interest, and achievement (Abdullahi et Nwosu & Ndanwu, 2020). The trend of the computer-assisted instruction method entails adopting a computer-aided learning instruction approach in the classroom. The computer has many purposes in school. Thus, it can improve student capability and enhance teaching and learning in all schools (Doko & Robert, 2015).A computer-assisted instructional method is an innovative instructional approach that prompts purposeful interaction between a learner and the computer device with relevant learningmaterials in the form of software designed to help learners acquire the anticipatedlearningpurposes at their capabilities and command. The system is an interactive instructional procedure whereby a computer is used to present the instructional material and monitor the learning that takes place. The system is an interaction between learners, a computer-controlled display and a response entry device for the purpose of achieving educational outcomes.
Innovation entails the process of making changes to something established by introducing something new. It applies to radical or incremental changes to products, processes, or services. Modern-day education is developing under conditions of exponential growth in the adoption and utilization of information and communication technologies and 1028 the escalation of innovation (Ogurtsova et al., 2019). Over the years, there have been several variations in the educational landscape across the world. Perhaps, the sector has witnessed an increasing level of innovations recently. Educational innovations denote the procedure or method of scholarly activity that differs significantly from conventional practice and is used to improve competence in the academic environment (Mykhailyshyn et al., 2019). This entails the willingness and flexibility in the adjustment of academic activities. The current educational environment aims to keep learners engaged and excited while learning. The innovations in the educational sector include pedagogical innovation, scientific and methodological innovation, educational and technological innovation Researchers have attempted to attribute the poor student's engagement and achievement in physics to various factors such as adverse learning environment, pedagogical incompetence, learning approaches, cognitive pattern, career interest, peer and parental influence, and certain demographic variables (Erdemir, 2009). However, the instructional strategy assumes the primary basis for enhancing physics' learning in the early learning period.
Consequently, a large body of literature has been dedicated to exploring various approaches to improving student's performance and engagement in physics in secondary schools in Nigeria (Alemu, 2020;Omolara, 2015). Perhaps, the trend of technological innovations in the educational landscape of modern-day society has proven to be essential in increasing attitudes, motivations, interests, and performance. Extensive literature has highlighted the importance of innovative instructional strategies in enhancing physics learning ( The results indicated that participants exposed to the animation/narration/on-screen text condition scored higher mean scores in achievement and interest in physics. The researcher concluded that computer-based multimedia learning is effective in enhancing student's achievement and interest in physics.
Research employing technologically-based physics instructional methods in secondary schools as a virtual panacea towards achieving the desired objective in the subject. Consequently, the present study's primary purpose is to answer the question; would there be a significant difference between students taught physics with the computerassisted instructional method and those taught with the conventional method on engagement in physics in secondary schools.

Method:-
The present study employed a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-tests and two groups (experimental and control conditions). Secondary school students in Kogi State made up the population of the study. One hundred and eighty-seven (n = 187) students enrolled in the science classes comprising males and females within the ages of 1029 10 and 15 years with a mean age of (M=9.14) and (SD= 1.24) were randomly selected from eight public secondary schools in Ankpa, and Lokoja, Kogi State as the study participants. They were assigned two conditions, with group A as the experimental condition. On the other hand, group B represents the control condition.

Procedure:-
Authorization was duly obtained from the school authorities. Thus, a reliable corporation was established between the researcher and the school personnel. However, physics teachers were trained as the research assistants. The training of the research assistants lasted for eight days; thus, each day was used in preparing the teachers in each of the eight selected schools. The training informed the teachers of the study's purpose and guidelines. The study lasted for four weeks, with one lesson period for each week. However, the regular school periods were utilized. The usual physics teachers taught the classes while the researcher provided the rules, instructions, lesson plan, and the CAI program materials. The researcher also visited at intervals to ensure strict compliance with the lesson plan.
Before the commencement of the experiment, a questionnaire was administered to the students as a pre-test study. The pre-test was used to determine the student's overall engagement in a physics classroom. On concluding the pretest, the research assistants collected the scripts, marked and recorded the scores before handing them over to the researcher for further analysis. The primary study resumed with the experimental conditions been taught basic physics principles with the computer system while the control conditions were taught the same lesson using the conventional method. Finally, the post-test study was conducted similarly to the pre-test except that the questions were reshuffled. The data from the pre-test and post-test were subjected to data analysis.  Table 1 shows that the mean in the pre-test study for experimental conditions is 43.17 while the mean in the pre-test for control conditions is 42.29 giving the pre-test mean difference of 0.88. The finding indicates no significant difference in the participants' mean scores on their level of engagement in physics. On the other hand, the post-test study reveals a mean of 50.19for the experimental conditions and 44.39for the control condition, with a mean difference of 5.08. The gain score for the two conditions was 7.02 and 2.01, respectively. Thus, the result shows that the experimental conditions improved engagement in physics due to their exposure to the computer-assisted instructional method.

Result:-
To answer the research question on whether there would be a significant difference between the student's taught physics with the computer-assisted instructional method and those acquainted with the conventional approach. The t-test analysis performed on the data established a significant difference between the experimental and control conditions on engagement in physics MD = 5.08, t (185) = 7.328, p = .000, as shown in Table 2 below. Perhaps, the children's interest in computer devices could attract the student's attention and make them engage more in the physics classroom than conventional classroom teaching methods. Bostan and Antohe (2010)noted that computer-assisted instruction stimulates visual and hearing capacities, readjusts them in the middle of the phenomena and completes their knowledge. Therefore, the CAI method presents a pathway to engaging the youngsters positively in the physics classroom for effective teaching and learning of the subject in Nigeria's secondary education landscape.

The implication of the study
The research findings have some implications for the teachers, students, school authorities, and curriculum planners. Perhaps, the finding implicates the CAI method as a significant strategy to enhance students' engagement in physics studies. Also, this has implications for all the stakeholders in education with inclusive students. More so, it implies that the continuous use of the conventional discussion method by the physics teachers will not significantly improve students' engagement in a physics classroom. It equally means that if school authorities and curriculum planners do not make an effort to enforce the use of CAI by the curriculum implementers (teachers), the students may not improve in their engagement in physics studies.

Conclusion:-
The present research aimed to investigate whether computer-assisted instructional methods would enhance students' engagement when teaching physics in secondary school. The research established a positive difference between the two conditions on engagement in physics in the post-test study. Thus, the study concludes that the computer-assisted instructional method is an essential technological tool that could improve secondary school students' physics classroom engagement. Therefore, the study contributes to the physics literature by supporting previous researches that promote the integration of computer-assisted instructional methods in the classroom in Nigeria. Nevertheless, the sample size used in the study may pose a significant challenge for generalizing this result. Future researchers should include more representative samples and explore other moderating variables that could broaden our understanding of this outcome. However, the study recommends the full integration of computer games in the classroom and consistent training of instructors in this direction.