Effect of Audio-Visual Materials on Students' Interest and Achievement in Basic Science and Technology in Benue State, Nigeria

This study investigated the effect of audio-visual (AV) materials on students’ interest and achievement in Basic Science and Technology (BST) in Benue State, Nigeria. The study answered two research questions and tested two null hypotheses. A quasi-experimental of non-randomized, pretest posttest control group design was adopted. Two instruments, Basic Science and Technology Interest Scale (BSTIS) and Basic Science and Technology Achievement Test (BSTAT) were validated and used for data collection. Reliability coefficients of BSTIS and BSTAT were established at 0.79 and 0.76 using Cronbach-Alpha Method and Kuder-Richardson-20 formula respectively. The sample size of 127 Upper Basic III students was drawn from the population of 14,894 using multi-stage sampling technique. Mean and standard deviation were used for answering research questions while the null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 significance level using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The result revealed a significant difference between the mean interest and achievement scores of students taught BST using AV materials and those taught without the use of AV materials with large effect sizes of η2p = 0.76 and η2p = 0.81 respectively. Based on these findings, it was concluded that the use AV materials is an effective approach in teaching Basic Science and Technology, because the approach enhanced students’ interest and achievement of BST concepts. It was recommended among others that AV materials should be used for the teaching of BST in particular and other science subjects in general where necessary; that stakeholders in education should organize seminars and conferences to train BST teachers on the use of AV materials for teaching in order to enhance students’ interest and achievement in Science.