Effect of Computer Animation Instructional Package on Students’ Achievement in Hybridization in Chemistry

Abstract

The study aimed to ascertain how learners' performance in the chemical hybridization concept was affected by the Computer Animation Instructional Package (CAI). A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental research design was used in the study. There were 120 seniors secondary school students in the sample. The control group received instruction via traditional lectures, while the experimental group was treated using computer animation. The Hybridization Achievement Test (HAT) and Students' Spatial Ability Test (SSAT) were tested and used for data collection. The tests had reliability coefficients of 0.71 and 0.77, respectively using Kuder Richardson 20. Using estimated marginal means and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at a 0.05 significance level, seven research hypotheses were tested. Results showed that CAI highly impacted students' performance in the chemical concept of hybridization. A noteworthy interaction effect between gender and spatial ability was also found, favouring females with high spatial ability over males with low spatial ability regarding learners' performance. The research results indicate that CAI enhanced students' performance on the hybridization concept in chemistry. The results also showed the gender-friendly and successful instructional characteristics of CAI.