The effectiveness of the computer assisted instruction method among the low achievers in the geography subject of form 4 in Negeri Sembilan

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Date
2007
Authors
Othman, Mohd Aris
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Abstract
This study is carried out to gauge the effectiveness of computer assisted instruction (CAI) in improving the academic achievement of students who are academically low achievers in geography form 4. As geography is now an elective subject in the New Secondary School Curriculum (KBSM), the subject seems to have lost its sense of importance and is almost neglected. Moreover, most of the students who have enrolled for this subject at the SPM level are academically low achievers. Therefore this has a negative impact on the SPM result for the subject of geography. This study makes use of the quasi experimental design consisting of a pre and post test in which 325 students were divided into two groups. The first being the experimental group (162 students) was given computer assisted instruction while the second group being the control group (163 students) was taught using the traditional instructional methodology. A set of pre-test geography questions on the topic “Pandang Darat Fizikal – Luluhawa” was administered to both the experimental and control groups in order to gauge their background knowledge of the subject. They were then given instructions using either the CAI or traditional methodology which was designed for their respective groups. Once this was done, the students were given another set of post-test questions which served as an achievement test. The result of this test shows that computer assisted instruction has brought about an encouraging impact on the students’ academic achievement in geography, regardless of whether these students are from urban or rural areas. The experimental group thus, shows a higher degree of academic achievement when compared to the academic achievement of the control group. Based on the findings of this study, a number of suggestions have been made such as encouraging the use of geography softwares as an instructional methodology and providing exposures on the use of CAI to teachers of geography as early as their first teachers training stint.
Description
PhD
Keywords
Education , computer assisted , instruction method , geography subject
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