Effects of simulation game and cognitive style on students' achievement in integrated science

Abstract

The study determined the effects of simulation game-assisted instruction and cognitive style on students' achievement in Integrated Science. It adopted a 2 x 2 non-randomized pre test, post test, control group quasi-experimental design in which the treatment, at two levels (simulation game-assisted instruction, teacher instruction only) was crossed with cognitive style at two levels (analytical, non-analytical).The subjects were 305 Junior secondary III students selected from three co-educational schools in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria. Three valid and reliable instruments were used for data collection: Integrated Science Achievement Test (ISAT), Cognitive Style Test (CST) and Operational Guide for Instruction (OGI). The study, which lasted for six weeks, involved exposing the students in the experimental group to three types of simulation games (water pollution game, chemical symbol, equation and formulae), while those in the control were not exposed to any game, but were rather taught in the conventional way. Data analysis involved the use of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and scheffe multiple range test as post hoc measures. The results showed a significant main effect of cognitive style (F_{(1,300)=23.545;p<0.05}) on achievement in Integrated science. The results revealed that analytical students achieved higher than their non-analytical counterparts. There was no significant main effect of treatment (F_{(1,300)=2.090;p>0.05}) on Integrated science achievement. There were also significant interaction effect of treatment and cognitive style (F_{(1,300)=12.704;p<0.05}) on Integrated science achievement. The implications of these findings for curriculum planning, teacher training and in-service programmes, development of curriculum materials and classroom practice were discussed.

African Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Sport Facilitation Vol. 6 2004: 68-76