Effect of computer simulation on academic performance and experiences of year two science students in the concept, circulatory system in humans.

Abstract The study was conducted to determine the effect of computer simulation on academic performance and experiences of second year science students in the concept, circulatory system in humans at Presbyterian Senior High School, Tema. Quasi- experimental research design and survey of students’ opinion were used. The target population was all students of the school (800 students). The accessible population was year two science (80) students. The sample size was 80 students. Purposive sampling was used to select two intact classes A and B. Class A was assigned the experimental group and was exposed to the computer simulation and class B was assigned the control group and was exposed to the lecture method. Each group consisted of 40 students. Tests and Questionnaires were used for the collection of data. The data were analyzed using weighted means, effect size, and t-tests. The findings revealed that students of the control and experimental groups were all of the same academic standard before the treatments (t = 1.209; df =78; P ≥ 0.05). Students in the experimental group performed better in the post test than the control group (t = 3.542; df = 78; P< 0.05). The experiences of the students in the experimental group were significantly positive compared to the control group (t = 6.9584; df = 78; P < 0.05). It is recommended that teachers of Presbyterian Senior High School should use computer-based instructions that may cater for the different learning styles of the students to enhance their academic performance. Keywords: Computer simulation, academic performance, circulatory system in humans, experiences, effects