EFFECT OF BLENDED LEARNING APPROACH ON POST BASIC STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND RETENTION IN COMMERCE IN ABIA STATE

Abstract

This study examined the effect of a blended learning approach on post-basic students’ academic achievement and retention in Commerce in Abia State. Three specific research objectives, three research questions, and three hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design, specifically a pretest, posttest non-equivalent control group design. The population of the study was 13,508 post-basic two (SS2) students in all the public secondary schools in Abia state, while the sample size of 56 post-basic two (SS II) students of two intact classes drawn from two co-education public secondary schools used a purposive sampling technique. Each of the two intact classes representing each of the schools, respectively, was assigned to two groups (one experimental group and one control group). The experimental group was taught using a blended learning approach, while the control group was taught with the lecture method. Data was collected using Commerce Achievement Tests (COMMAT). The instruments were face and content validated by three experts. The reliability of the instruments was determined using Kuder Richardson 20 (K-R 20), which yielded a reliability index of .81 and .82. Data collected from the pre-test and post-test were analyzed using means to answer the research questions, the standard deviation was used to determine the homogeneity of their responses, while the hypotheses were tested using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) at the .05 level of significance. The findings, among others, showed that students taught Commerce using a blended learning approach had higher mean achievement gain compared to their counterparts exposed to the lecture method. It also revealed that the hypothesis of no significant difference in the mean achievement score of students taught Commerce using a blended learning approach compared to those using the lecture method was rejected. The study recommended, among others, that Commerce teachers should adopt the blended learning approach in teaching Commerce to improve students’ achievement and retention