Assessment of the virtual learning approach on academic outcome among underachievers: implication for post-COVID-19 adjustment

Abstract

The unanticipated impediment to the teaching-learning process amid poor academic returns in the Nigerian educational system due to the emergence of COVID-19 is worrisome. Juggling prevention for survival and knowledge enhancement for increased performance becomes a difficult decision to make in the face of high mortality reports across developed and developing countries. This created an impetus to investigate perceived effectiveness of the virtual learning approach on academic outcome among underachieving students in Ibadan, having gender as a moderator. Descriptive research design was adopted in this study with randomly sampled 150 underachieving students (male = 70, female= 80) from private secondary schools in Ibadan. Data were collected through academic outcome test (Rr = 0.871) with three hypotheses raised and tested at 0.05 level of significance using independent sample t-test. The result showed that there was a significant difference in the academic outcome of students who experienced virtual learning approach and those exposed to the traditional approach; t (148)= 2.170, p <0.05, η2 = 0.031. The students exposed to virtual learning (mean= 56.24) had higher academic outcome than those exposed to the traditional learning approach (mean= 45.71). There was a significant difference in the academic outcome of male and female exposed to virtual learning; t (73) = 2.418, p <0.05, η2= 0.029. The male (mean= 22.41) students exposed to virtual learning had higher academic score than their female (mean= 20.72) counter-parts. There was no significant difference in the academic outcome of male and female students who did not experience virtual learning during the COVID-19 lockdown. Among others it was recommended that, in order to curtail an unexpected pandemic that can affect learning, virtual class should be encouraged as a regular school approach to teaching students. Furthermore, provision should be made for updating and upgrading teachers on how to instruct and engage all students through virtual learning tools.