Effect of teaching automotive engineering with computers on the academic performance of students

Abstract

This study was aimed at investigating the effect of computer assisted instruction as a supplementary strategy on the academic achievement of technical students offering Automotive Engineering programme. It was a quasi experimental study and the purpose was to see the relative effectiveness of independent variable, (teaching strategy) on the academic performance of students in Automotive Engineering. Technical students pursuing Automotive Engineering Programme constituted the population for the study. Form 2 Automotive Engineering students from the Cape Coast Technical and the Kumasi Technical Institutes were selected as sample for the study. Students from the Cape Coast Technical Institute constituted the control group while their counterparts in the Kumasi Technical Institute formed the experimental group. Final data for analysis was collected from 40 students, 20 from each group. Significance of the difference between the mean scores of both groups on the variable of pre-test and post-test were tested at 0.05 level by applying t-test. The analysis of the pre-test showed that the t-value was -0.157 (Sig. 2-tailed = 0897) signifying that there was no significant difference between the two groups. However analysis of post-test data revealed that the t-value was 5.125 (Sig. 2-tailed = 0.000) showing that there was a significant difference between the two groups in favour of the experimental group. The study recommended that computer resources should be made available to schools and institutions that run practical oriented programmes so that students can learn and practice through simulations and other interactive software.