ENHANCING STUDENTS’ RETENTION IN BIOLOGY THROUGH VIDEO-BASED MULTIMEDIA INSTRUCTION IN AWKA EDUCATION ZONE

Abstract

Despite the persistent use of conventional approaches in secondary school Biology, students often experience difficulty retaining biological concepts because many topics are abstract and visually complex. This study investigated the effect of video-based multimedia instruction (VBMI) on Senior Secondary School II students’ retention in Biology in Awka Education Zone, while examining the influence of gender and the interaction between gender and instructional method. The study adopted a quasi-experimental posttest, retention-test control group design using intact classes, with 102 SS2 students participating in the study. Students were assigned to either the VBMI or expository teaching method (ETM) group, and retention scores were analysed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) with pretest scores as the covariate. Findings revealed a significant difference in students’ retention in favour of VBMI, F (1,99) = 810.279, p < .001, partial η² = .891, indicating a very large instructional effect. Gender had no significant effect on retention, F (1,99) = 0.080, p = .779, partial η² = .001, while the interaction between instructional method and gender was also not significant, F (1,97) = 0.476, p = .492, partial η² = .005. These findings suggest that the retention advantage of VBMI was consistent across male and female students. Grounded in the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, the study concludes that synchronised visual and verbal instructional representations can promote sustainable learning in Biology. The study therefore recommends a purposeful integration of VBMI into Biology classrooms, supported by teacher professional development, adequate digital infrastructure, and the development of high-quality multimedia instructional resources.