Abstract

The advantage of “computer-assisted instruction” is weakened by factors such as gender stereotyping. Therefore, this study was an attempt to investigate the effect of gender on the use of computer in science class and its effect on the students’ academic performance. It was a quasi-experimental design that used pre-test, treatment-control, and post-test. Using computers, the experimental group was taught two Biology lessons on photosynthesis and digestion in mammals while the control group was taught without computer using conventional teaching method. The study was guided by two research questions and two null hypotheses. A 20-item multiple-choice questions was produced by the researcher and used for both pre-test and post-tests. Validation of the instrument was achieved through the contributions from two senior colleagues, and a reliability coefficient of 0.76 was realized using Kuder Richardson correlation analysis. Data collected were analyzed using both mean scores and t-tests. Results showed that gender had no significant effect on the use of computer, but the use of computer in teaching improved the academic performance of the students. It therefore, recommended continued use of computers in schools, and government with other stakeholders should provide more computers and train teachers to further enhance computer integration in classrooms.

Key words: Gender, computer-assisted Instruction, instructional technology, science instruction.