Effects of E-Learning on the Academic Achievement of Biology Students in Selected Senior Secondary Schools in Kuje Area Council, FCT-Abuja Nigeria

Abstract

This study explores how e-learning platforms can meaningfully improve biology learning outcomes among Senior Secondary School II students in Kuje Area Council, Abuja, during the 2023/2024 academic session. Through a quasi-experimental design, researchers worked with two schools, designating one as the experimental group, where students engaged with e-learning tools and the other as the control group, which continued with traditional classroom instruction. The population of the study consisted of 1,525 SS II students (869 males and 656 females), out of which 105 (56 males and 49 females) Biology students II from the two randomly selected senior secondary schools in Kuje Educational Zone, Abuja, formed the sample size for the study. The instrument used for data collection was the Biology Achievement Test (BAT). The reliability of the instruments was established using the Pearson moment correlation coefficient for BAT which yielded a reliability index of 0.78. Data was analysed using mean and standard deviation for research questions, while a t-test was used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed compelling evidence of e-learning's effectiveness. Students in the experimental group demonstrated substantial academic gains, with their post-test mean scores significantly surpassing their pre-test performance. Additionally, the analysis showed no significant differences in achievement between male and female students, suggesting that e-learning benefits students equitably regardless of gender. These results highlight the transformative potential of e-learning platforms in biology education and recommend that their strategic integration into secondary education could contribute meaningfully to enhancing educational quality and supporting broader national development goals.