M-Learning: Survey on Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students During the Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown in Private Universities in Nigeria

Abstract

The paper investigated mobile-learning and academic performance of undergraduate students in private universities in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Tertiary education in Nigeria is largely dependent on the traditional face-to-face (F2F) classroom learning but with COVID-19 protocols, there was a significant paradigm shift of learning method. To evaluate students’ performance based on the shift of the learning pedagogy from F2F to m-learning, a social survey was employed and a descriptive research design was adopted which was basically a non-experimental quantitative design in which questionnaire as an instrument for data collection was used on simple random sampling technique to describe their opinions, experiences and attitude. The participants were made up of undergraduate students of the Faculty of Education, Veritas University Abuja and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Catholic Institute of West Africa Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The total population of study was 560 students while a sample of 233 was derived from the total population using Slovin’s statistical formula. A structured and self-administered questionnaire was employed as instrument for data collection. The questionnaire was based on a 4-point Likert type, ranked on the following scale: strongly agree =4; agree=3; strongly disagree=2 and disagree=1 respectively. The instrument’s reliability had a Cronbach alpha value of 0.70 which is acceptable. Two theories were used and three research questions were employed as a guide. Data analysed using frequencies and percentages, mean and Standard Deviations revealed that, the usage of m-learning did not have any significant relationship with the performance of the students but the impact was significantly correlated with the academic performance of students. Therefore, m-learning improved students’ performance. However, this can further be enhanced if stakeholders encourage maximum use of m-learning pedagogy; establishment of ICT hubs with e-learning facilities across the country and development of Nigerian prototype m-learning architecture.