Effect of Simulations Using MATLAB on The Achievement and Gender of Electronic Technology Education Students in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the effects effect of simulations using MATLAB on the achievement and gender of electronic technology education students in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Two Research questions and two hypotheses tested at .05 level of significance guided the study. A pre-test, post-test, non-equivalent control group, the quasi-experimental research design was adopted. A total of 254 students were involved in the study. The instruments used for data collection were Electronic Technology Education Achievement Test (ETEAT) and Electronic Interest Inventory. Other instruments used were the MATLAB and conventional lesson plans. The items of the EAT were drawn based on table of specifications built in order to ensure the content validity of the test. The instruments were also subjected to face validation by three experts in Department of Industrial and technology Education, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State and Department of Vocational Teacher Education, University of Nigeria Nsukka. The ETEAT was trialtested to determine its psychometric indices and reliability coefficient. Test re-test reliability technique was used for the ETEAT. The reliability coefficient of the ETEAT obtained was 0.78 using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient formula. Mean was used to answer the research questions; while ANCOVA was employed to test the hypotheses. The study revealed that MATLAB is more effective than the traditional teaching method on students’ achievement in Electronic Technology. It was found out that there is an effect of gender on the achievement of students taught Electronic Technology in favour of male students. There was a significant difference between the mean achievement scores of students taught Electronic Technology using MATLAB and those taught with traditional method. Consequently, the researcher recommended that workshops, seminars and conferences should be organized by Ministry of Education and administrators of Universities to enlighten electronic Technology Lecturers and improve their knowledge and skills on the use of MATLAB for improving students’ achievement in Electronic Technology Education