Comparative Effect of Blended Learning and Lecture Instructional Strategies on Academic Performance of Upper Basic Social Studies Students in Delta State

This study compared the effects of blended learning and lecture instructional strategies on the academic performance of Upper Basic Social Studies students. Two research questions and two hypotheses were stated and tested using relevant data collected. A quasi-experimental equivalent design, specifically a 2x2 factorial design, was adopted for the study. The subjects comprised all Upper Basic II Social Studies students from three purposively selected secondary schools in Delta State. The selected schools were randomly assigned to the groups: blended learning strategy and lecture method. Each group consisted of 62 students (blended learning instructional strategy) and 65 students (lecture method), making a total of 127 sampled students. Treatments were administered to the groups for six weeks. A Social Studies Performance Test (SSPT), with a reliability coefficient of 0.77, was used to measure students’ performance before and after the treatments. The students’ pre-test and post-test scores were analyzed using mean, standard deviation analysis of variance (ANOVA) and independent t-test. The findings showed that there was a significant difference in the academic performance of Social Studies students taught with blended learning compared to those taught with the lecture method. Results also indicated a statistically significant difference in the mean academic performance scores of urban and rural Social Studies students taught using blended learning instructional strategies in Delta State. Based on these findings, it was concluded that students taught using blended learning strategies performed significantly better than those taught with the lecture instructional strategy. Consequently, it was recommended, among others, that Social Studies teachers at the Upper Basic level should adopt blended learning strategies in their instructional delivery, as the method has been proven to significantly enhance students’ academic performance compared to the traditional lecture method