IMPACT OF SIMULATION-BASED STRATEGY ON STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT AND RETENTION IN BASIC SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN JOS SOUTH PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of simulation-based strategy on students’ achievement and retention in Basic Science and Technology in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design involving a population of 1,778 Junior Secondary School II students, from which a sample of 153 students was drawn using simple random sampling techniques. The participants were assigned to experimental and control groups, with the experimental group exposed to simulation-based strategy while the control group was taught using the conventional lecture method. Two instruments, the Basic Science and Technology Achievement Test (BSTAT) and the Basic Science and Technology Retention Test (BSTRT), were developed, validated, and used for data collection, and the analysis yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.81, indicating a high level of internal consistency. Six research questions guided the study and were answered using mean and standard deviation, while six corresponding hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Findings showed that, students taught with the simulation-based strategy achieved significantly higher post-test scores than peers taught with the lecture method and, importantly, demonstrated superior retention of learned concepts after the delay. The study recommended wider integration of subject-appropriate simulations into Basic Science and Technology instruction, targeted teacher professional development on designing and facilitating simulation activities, curriculum planners should embed simulation tasks as core learning experiences rather than enrichment add-ons.