Effect of Blended Learning Instructional Strategy on Students' Interest and Achievement in Basic Science and Technology in Upper Basic Schools in Zone A Benue State, Nigeria

This study investigated the effect of blended learning instructional strategy on students’ interest and academic achievement in Basic Science and Technology in Zone A, Benue State, Nigeria. The study adopted quasi-experimental non-randomized pretest posttest control group design. The study was guided by three research questions and three hypotheses. The population of the study was 3041 Basic VIII students from 85 co-educational public secondary schools which cut across the seven local government areas in Education Zone A, Benue State. A sample of 361 students (180 males and 181 females) was drawn from 14 schools. The study is made up of two groups: the experimental and the control groups. The experimental group was taught using blended learning instructional strategy while the control group was taught using the traditional method. The Instruments used for data collection were Basic Science and Technology Interest Rating Scale (BSTIRS) and Basic Science and Technology Achievement Test (BSTAT). The reliability of BSTIRS was ascertained using Cronbach Alpha which yielded a reliability coefficient of .89 while the reliability of BSTAT was established at 0.84 using Kuder-Richardson formula 21. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer research questions while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that there is a significant difference in the mean interest ratings of Upper Basic students taught Basic Science and Technology using blended learning instructional strategy and those taught using traditional method. There is a significant difference in the mean achievement scores of Upper Basic students taught Basic Science and Technology using blended learning instructional strategy and those taught using traditional method in favour of the experimental group however, there is no significant difference in the mean achievement scores between male and female Upper Basic students taught Basic Science and Technology using blended learning instructional strategy. The study concluded that blended learning instructional strategy increases students’ interest and improves students’ academic achievement than the traditional method. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that curriculum developers and educators should consider adopting blended learning instructional strategy which combines digital and interactive elements with traditional teaching methods to increase student interest and academic achievement in Basic Science and Technology.