Integration of computer technology into the teaching and learning of nuclear physics

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of integration of computer technology such as computer animation into the teaching and learning of nuclear physics. The study involved one class of form three physics students in Anglican Senior High School in Kumasi. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used to select 70 students (13 females and 57 males). Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using test and unstructured interviews respectively. The students wrote a pre-intervention test after which the computer animations were used to teach the lesson. The students then wrote a similar test as a post-intervention test. In the analysis of data, SPSS was used to find out whether there was a significant improvement in students’ performance in relation to the lesson taught using traditional and computer animation methods of teaching. A paired sample t-test conducted showed that there was a significant difference in the pre-intervention test and post-intervention test scores at p-value of 0.00 (α ≤ 0.05). The findings further revealed that the students perceived the computer animation method of teaching to be very effective since it enhanced their performance. The study recommends the use of computer animation method of teaching in physics lessons at the SHS level.