EFFECTS OF COMPUTER AIDED INSTRUCTION ON SELF-EFFICACY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN GWAGWALADA AREA COUNCIL OF FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY ABUJA

Abstract

The study investigated how the use of Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) affects students’ self-efficacy in learning English language when compared with the use of Conventional Instructional Methods (CIM). The study adopted quasi experimental design, Non-equivalent Control Group Design. Four secondary schools with computer laboratory were purposively sampled for the study. The four schools were then randomly assigned to either experimental or control groups. The study sample comprised of 165 Senior Secondary Two English language students from the four sampled schools. The study involved two Experimental groups which were taught through the CAI method and two Control groups which were taught through CIM (non- computer-Aided methods). Data was collected using Students’ Self-efficacy Scale (SSES). The instrument was administered before and after exposure of treatment (CAI) to both the experimental and control group. The reliability coefficients of SSES after pilot testing was estimated using Cronbach’s Alpha and an alpha coefficient of 0.76 was obtained. The researcher administered the SSES instrument with the assistance of English language teachers in the sampled schools. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that the students who were taught the English language with CAI obtained, higher self-efficacy scores than the students who were taught with CIM. The study further revealed that girls obtained higher self-efficacy scores than boys when taught with CAI. The study recommended that CAI would be beneficial to English language teachers in adopting instructional strategies that would help improve students’ self-efficacy in the English language.