COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF ANIMATED AND NON-ANIMATED COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTIONS ON STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENT IN BIOLOGY IN AWKA SOUTH LGA OF ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the comparative effects of animated and non-animated computer
assisted instructions (CAI) on students' achievement in Biology in Awka South Local 
Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria. The research aimed to determine whether the use 
of animated CAI, which incorporates dynamic visual and interactive elements, yields better 
academic outcomes compared to non-animated CAI, which relies on static visuals and text. A 
quasi-experimental design was employed, involving a sample of senior secondary school 
students divided into two groups: one exposed to animated CAI and the other to non-animated 
CAI. Pre-test and post-test assessments were conducted to measure students' achievement 
levels before and after the intervention. Our pretest-posttest control group design was non
randomized. The study was guided by two research questions two hypotheses. The population 
of the students consist 2,036 senior secondary school one (1) Biology students (1,006 males 
and 1,030 females) in the 17 public secondary schools in Awka South Local Government Area. 
Participants in the study included 120 SS I Biology students from two public secondary schools 
in Awka South Local Government area. The instrument used for data collection was Biology 
Achievement Test (BAT). The tool was verified. Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20) was 
used to determine the instrument's reliability, and the results showed a reliability coefficient of 
0.84. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation, and the 
research hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The findings 
revealed that students taught with animated CAI achieved significantly higher scores in 
Biology than those taught with non-animated CAI. The study concludes that animated CAI is 
more effective in enhancing students' understanding and retention of Biological concepts, 
likely due to its engaging and interactive nature. Recommendations include the integration of 
animated CAI into the Biology curriculum and the provision of training for teachers to 
effectively utilize such technologies in the classroom. This research contributes to the growing 
body of knowledge on the impact of instructional technologies on science education in Nigeria.