Effects of Computer Animation and Problem-Based Learning on Secondary School Chemistry Students’ Achievement in the IUPAC Nomenclature of Organic Compounds, Oyo Metropolis

This study examined the impact of Computer Animation and Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on the academic performance of secondary school students in the context of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) nomenclature of organic compounds in Oyo Metropolis, Nigeria. The subpar performance of students in chemistry, particularly in their grasp and application of IUPAC nomenclature, has underscored the need for more engaging and effective teaching strategies. A 3×2 factorial quasi-experimental design was utilised, featuring two experimental groups (Computer Animation and PBL) alongside a control group (Conventional Teaching), with gender serving as a moderating variable. A total of 170 students from Senior Secondary School II enrolled in Chemistry were selected from three public schools through the application of multistage sampling techniques. The Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) was conducted as a pre-test and a post-test. The analysis of data was conducted through Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) with a significance level set at 0.05. The analysis indicated a statistically significant main effect of the instructional strategies on students’ achievement (F(2,166)=187.88, p<0.05, η²=0.709). The PBL group recorded the highest post-test mean (M=23.18), followed by the Computer Animation group (M=21.50), and the Conventional group (M=13.44). An important interaction between treatment and gender was noted (F(2,163)=7.23, p<0.05, η²=0.747), showing that female students excelled compared to males in both the PBL and conventional groups, whereas males had a slight advantage over females in the computer animation group. The findings indicate that both Computer Animation and PBL greatly improve students’ comprehension and performance in organic chemistry. It is advised to incorporate these methods into chemistry teaching to foster active learning and enhance academic results.