EFFECT OF METACONCEPTUAL INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' INTEREST IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN ONITSHA EDUCATION ZONEEFFECT OF METACONCEPTUAL INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' INTEREST IN INFORMATI

Abstract

The study investigated the effect of Metaconceptual Instructional Strategy (MIS) on secondary school students’ interest in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Onitsha Education Zone, Anambra State. The study was guided by two research questions and three hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a quasi-experimental research design involving a pre-test, post-test, non-equivalent control group. The population comprised Junior Secondary School Two (JSS2) students offering Information and Communication Technology in public secondary schools in Onitsha Education Zone. A sample of 145 students selected through a multi-stage sampling procedure participated in the study. Data were collected using the Information and Communication Technology Interest Scale (ICTIS), which was validated by experts in Science Education and Measurement and Evaluation. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was established using Cronbach Alpha and yielded an acceptable coefficient of 0.78. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that students taught ICT using the Metaconceptual Instructional Strategy recorded significantly higher interest than those taught using the Conventional Lecture Method. The study also found that gender had no significant influence on students’ interest when exposed to the Metaconceptual Instructional Strategy. The study concluded that Metaconceptual Instructional Strategy is an effective learner-centred instructional approach for enhancing students’ interest in Information and Communication Technology irrespective of gender. It was recommended, among others, that ICT teachers should adopt the Metaconceptual Instructional Strategy in classroom instruction to stimulate students’ interest and promote meaningful learning in ICT.