Two Modes of Blended Learning Strategy and Southwestern Nigeria Pre-Service Teachers Knowledge of Global Issues in Social Studies

Global issue concepts are taught in Social Studies to develop in learners, ability to address local and global challenges. A tracer study revealed that many pre-service Social Studies teachers in Southwestern Nigeria are deficient in Global Issues Content Knowledge (GICK) due to large class size and the use of conventional lecture method. Previous innovative strategies employed limit learners to the four walls of the classroom. This study therefore employed two modes (individual and group-based) of blended learning strategy with online feature to improve learners’ GICK. The study was guided by three null hypotheses. Pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental research design was adopted. Two moderator variables (Mobile Phone Self-efficacy (MPS) and Computer Self-efficacy (CS)) were examined. The population of the study comprised of all pre-service Social Studies teachers in Southwestern Nigeria. Three states (Oyo, Ogun and Lagos) from Southwestern Nigeria were randomly selected. Three state-owned Colleges of Education (Emmanuel Alayande-Oyo, Adeniran Ogunsanya-Lagos and Tai Solarin-Ogun) offering Social Studies as a course were purposively selected from the selected states. Two hundred-level (200-level) pre-service teachers using android phones were purposively selected and assigned to Group-based Blended Learning (GBL)-95, Individual-based Blended Learning (IBL)-87, and control group of (120) intact class. Global Issues Knowledge Test (r=0.72), Computer Self-efficacy (r=0.94) and Mobile Phone Self-efficacy (r=0.92) scales were the study instrument for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, analysis of covariance and Bonferroni Post-hoc. The IBL, GBL and MPS had significant effect on GICK (F(2,299) = 32.65; partial =0.19) , (F(1,299) = 4.60; partial = 0.02) respectively. Findings revealed that GBL and IBL strategies enhanced pre-service teachers ’GICK in Social Studies in Colleges of Education. It was recommended that Social Studies lecturers should adopt the two modes of blended learning strategy for pre-service teachers to improve their global issues content knowledge.