THE INFLUENCE OF SYNCHRONOUS LEARNING STRATEGY ON ENGLISH STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS UYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA.

THE INFLUENCE OF SYNCHRONOUS LEARNING STRATEGY ON ENGLISH STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS UYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA.

ABSTRACT

 

 The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of synchronous learning on English Language students’ academic performance in secondary schools in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. In order to achieve this, two specific objectives and research questions were stated while two null hypotheses were formulated and tested at .05 level of significance. 80 students of senior secondary one (SS1) were randomly selected and used as sample size for this study. Performance Test was administered to both groups. The content validity was established by two experts from education Foundation in the faculty of education –University of Uyo while spilt-half technique was used to establish the internal consistency. The scores of the two tests were analysed using independent t. test statistical tool to test the two null hypotheses while mean and standard deviation was used to answer the two research questions. It was concluded that synchronous instructional strategy significant influence students’ performance and was recommended that state Government should set up Educational Resource Centre to enhance its utilisation.

 

 INTRODUCTION  

In recent years the number of English language learners enrolled in the English classes has been on the rise among high school students in Iran, and it has been leading to expand the need to provide special language instructions. Students are different based on their ability in learning motivation levels, and how they respond to instructional practices. The more the students understand the differences the better chance they have to meet their different learning needs. There are two different categories that have had important implications in teaching and learning, including: different learning styles, and different methods (in taking in and processing information), learning approach, and intellectual development levels. Learning styles can be defined, classified, and identified in many different ways. It can also be described as a set of factors, behaviours, and attitudes that enhance learning in any situation. How the students learn and how the teachers teach, and how the two interact with each others are influenced by different learning styles.

Education is at its best when students feel connected to the learning environment and are engaged in learning that is meaningful and relevant to their lives. This standard of excellence can be met in both traditional and non-traditional academic environments. Due to various technological advances and the recent economic downturn experienced by our country, the non-traditional form of education known as distance learning is increasing in popularity. According to a (2009) study by the Sloan Consortium, there has been a 66 percent increase in the demand for institutions to offer new online courses and a 73 percent increase in the demand for new courses and programs (Allen & Seaman, 2010). This same study shows that academic leaders from all types of educational institutions reported an increase in the demand for not only face-to-face classes but for online classes as well. As the popularity of distance education continues to grow, there will be an increased demand for quality online learning classes that are more readily available to students across the globe (Allen & Seaman, 2010).

When looking at the future of the classroom, it is easy to see that, through technological advances, even the most basic space could be a haven for gathering knowledge. Although distance learning has been a popular and practical choice for many students and institutions for many years, its popularity has increased with the rise in the widespread use of the Internet and the World Wide Web. This factor has changed the face of distance education as some 80 percent of the total number of distance education courses are Web-based E-Learning courses (Pandza & Masic, 2010). This is important to consider because this method of learning is becoming a more viable option for making advanced educational opportunities easily accessible for students of all learning styles and backgrounds. According to an article in the Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, research indicates that in regards to feedback both from the teacher and other peers, students would greatly prefer to receive audio feedback versus some of the more traditional methods of text-based feedback. This type of feedback was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from students as they believed that it personalized communication and helped build a sense of community (Ice, Curtis, Phillips, & Wells, 2007). Within the context of online discussions, students have the opportunity to become facilitators of their learning. By sharing with one another their own perspectives on the material and alternative ways of interpreting their experiences, they can gain a heightened awareness of their values, behaviours, and assumptions in regards to the material or content being studied (Brookfield, 2006) Susan Patrick, president and CEO of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL), believes online learning is more than a trend. It‟s revolutionizing global education, and those countries with strong eLearning strategies will advance to help prepare students to reach their full potential in a digital age. Today‟s students want more options when it comes to education, and online learning is providing new opportunities for universal access to the best possible education for all students, regardless of ability, background, income level, or geography. Synchronous collaboration software, such as virtual classrooms, allows for real-time interaction with students and instructors. A model that combines both asynchronous and synchronous learning to bridge students, instructors, and educational content in vibrant online learning communities is the ideal solution. The desired outcome of using these synchronous communication tools is to add value of real-time interaction rather than just static content.

Synchronous interaction has many benefits to students and instructors, including the following:

Provides immediate instructor and student feedback

Replicates the physical classroom model

Reduces the feeling of isolation

Provides a forum where students can collaborate at any time

Fosters a sense of community with the learners

Motivates students and helps them structure their time

Increases students‟ technical aptitude

However, even programs that have used synchronous models have not often used voice as part of the learning model. Often this is because teleconferencing between students and instructors is troublesome and quite expensive. However, new solutions feature built in Voice Over Internet (VoIP), which does away with the need for a telephone, enables interaction over an Internet-connected computer equipped with a microphone and speakers (or headset). This added voice component provides:

Increased human interaction that improves results

Increased meaning and understanding

Increased sense of community

Effective and efficient communication vehicle

Flexibility in responding and interacting

Multiple methods to interact with students with differing learning styles

 

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

As technology becomes more readily available in many parts of the globe, virtual communities as well as a new type of student population have emerged, resulting in a need for more online learning opportunities for students (Barrett, 2010). Due to these technological advancements in online education, e-learning has become an integral part of distance education and virtual classrooms that incorporate the use of various new technologies and infrastructures (Pandza & Masic, 2011). There have been robust increases in the number of students taking at least one online course. In 2013, the Sloan Consortium reported that there were 6.7 million students taking at least one online course, with 572,000 more online students in the fall of 2011 versus the fall of 2010 (Allen & Seaman, 2013). With this continued increase in the demand for online classes, it is critically important that educational institutions take a closer look at the various elements that make an online class a successful

 

 

 

Synchronous ICT media in education

ICT in education could be viewed in terms of the technologies ie, in terms of the delivery system or in terms of their content. Based upon their delivery system (characteristics), ICT media technologies in education can be grouped into two categories, namely; synchronous and asynchronous media (Raddi, 2009). Focus in this piece will be on synchronous media. This type of educational media requires all participants to be together at the same time even though in different locations. Synchronous media permit every learner to take part in the learning (class) all at the same time (Sife and Lwoga, 2007). Thus, synchronous learning are usually supported by synchronous ICT facilities. Through the use of the synchronous media, for example; students watch a live streaming of a class. They take part in a chat and students and instructors participate in the class with the help of web conference tools such as blackboard-collaborate learning environment.

Adobe connect, WebEx, Skype, etc (Collis and Jung, 2003). synchronous online classes therefore, are those that require student and instructors to be online all at the same time. Lectures, discussions and presentations occur at a specific hour. All students must log-on at that specific hour in order to ensure their participation (Bates, 2000). Many students like synchronous classes and class media because they feel involved, in real time, with the class experience. Through the media, they can ask questions or make contents, and they can receive instant feedback. Thus, most students believe that synchronous learning powered by synchronous ICT media are real time communication which allows for more fruitful discussion (Kling, 2001). In this understanding, synchronous ICT media (or class elements) in education may be classified to include:  Chat (text only): Synchronous chat rooms allow multiple users to log on and interact. This is a great way to ask questions and to share resources and insights (Librero, 2006). The only drawback is that when there are a lot of people logged in, and everyone’s trying to chat at the same time, the conversation can break off into tangents. The fast typists are definitely rewarded. If you are participating in a chat session, be sure to save the session (archive it), and review it later. You can usually save it as a text or rtf file (Hon-chan and Mukherjee, 2003).

 Voice (Telephone or voice-over IP): Sometimes you will be asked to dial into a toll-free number, or to log into a website where you will speak through your built-in microphone or a headset. The purpose is to have a conference call with your instructor and fellow students. You may be reviewing a document or a presentation. In that case, it is extremely helpful to plan ahead of time and have all the documents you will need at your fingertips (Leach, Ahmed and Power, 2005).

Video conferencing: Video conferences can, in theory, require all the participants to have their webcams running. The conference administrator can then post everyone’s head shot in the screen. This is not usually the case though, because to have everyone’s webcam turned on and transmitting elsewhere. Alternatively, the conference might transmit a presentation of slides and graphics, with a question and answer session at the end (Warschaver, 2009).

Web conferencing: What differentiates a web conference from a video conference is the fact that you will probably not rely on video as your primary instructional content (Shortidge, 2012). Instead, you are likely to access a wider variety of media elements. Web conferences tend to be more interactive, and you will probably be asked to respond to questions (survey, poll, questionnaire), which will give you a chance to interact. Web conferences usually incorporate chat and they often have a question and answer session at the end.

Internet radio/podcasts: When there is not sufficient bandwidth to broadcast live video of an event, instructors might stream the audio over the internet. Good opportunities for audio streaming include concerts or political speeches. Ideally, the audio file would be archived for students to access and review later as well. The nice thing about internet radio/streaming audio is that students can send chat messages while the event is happening (Kling, 2001).

 Virtual Worlds: Educational “Islands” in virtual worlds like Second Life are wonderful places for students to meet “live” and to interact. They are idea for learning languages because it is possible to speak with each other through headsets and VoIP. It is a wonderful way to practice conversation while being immersed in a virtual place that has the look and feel of another country or culture. While virtual worlds can be very engaging and productive as learning environments, they can be frustrating for those who are new. There is quite a learning curve as you learn to navigate the worlds, and to clothe and operate your avatar. Students should also bear in mind that virtual worlds require significant bandwidth along with a computer that has a lot of usable memory and a great video card.

Since the advent of synchronous strategy, it offers several potential benefits to the process of teaching and learning. There are many assignments that teachers can use to create meaningful blog activities. These activities are built around skills such as analysing, brainstorming, chronicling, collaborating, communicating and comparing (Lamb and Johnson 2006).The applications of weblogs in education are almost endless. They are recommended by professors and educators for a number of reasons. Gray and Prahalad (1996) stated that using synchronous for instruction

  1. Makes learning independent of time and space;
  2. encourages learners to be active throughout the
  3. course period;
  4. helps learners improve their writing;
  5. captures changes in thinking;
  6. invites people to collaborate;
  7. makes education more informal;
  8. also involves external people;
  9. facilitates the use of images;
  10. reduces costs;
  11. encourages people to try out things;
  12. self-publishing encourages learners to be more responsible and thoughtful.

Zare-ee, Shekarey and Vajargah (2009) indicated the following benefits:

  • synchronous can contain links, images, sound tracks and the like, making them much more interesting than traditional textbook;
  • They spread ideas rapidly, making them an efficient tool for information transmission in the current rapidly changing world;
  • They provide room for the right of freedom of expression, which is a crucial element for any democratic educational system.

Blogs in the classroom are sometimes used as “online diaries” where students write about their own experiences or share their ideas related to course topics. However, the power of the blog comes when others interact with an individual’s posts, creating a forum for discussion and conversation. Blogs may contain the written word, but more blog providers such as blogger.com offers services such as posting pictures and hyperlinks to other websites or uploading multimedia files. In contrast to more traditional forums for online discussion, blogs are open to the world to see. This provides visibility for students to share their ideas with the larger world. Quible (2005) states that sychronous are natural in business communication courses because they enable students share their writing with a larger audience. Glogoff (2003) noted that students used the class blog for a purpose other than from what is initially intended, causing them to create a new blog for a more general audience.

Despite the many advantages, Al-hebaishi (2012) stated that blogs also have some disadvantages:

  • Limited opportunity to access the Internet outside the campus, some learners may go to an Internet café to work on their assignments;
  • Technical problems due to Internet downtime service such as poor connection speed and difficulties to log onto the synchronous or post other types of files like pictures, videos…etc. ;• Lack of feedback and correction as they increase instructors’ workload when making corrections and comments, especially in the case of large classes;
  • The poor language used by some learners who are unable to write down their ideas in a compelling, correct and clear manner;
  • Lack of privacy, learners should be instructed neither to post personal photos or information, nor to leak private matters to the public;
  • The issue of accuracy, blogs are created and produced by individuals, so they may include biased or inaccurate information;

The issue of accessibility, synchronous is publicly accessible, strangers are able to read messages or leave inappropriate comments

 

 

Gender and Synchronous classroom

 

Gender appears to be a fundamental category for ordering and classifying social relations in the world (Evans,1994). Over the years, researches have shown that male dominate in the use of computer even in a situation where male and female are given equal access, men are more likely to be the main user of ICT than women (Pitler, 2007). However, recent Research have found out that the original gender gap in computer and Internet use appears to have narrowed to the point of nonexistence, DiMaggio, Hargittai and Celeste (2004), Hargittai

(2008), Feller B. (2006) suggests that men and women use these technologies in different ways. Fallow (2005 ) suggests that men are more avid consumer of online information than women, while women and more enthusiastic communicator.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

 

Although blogs are considered to be one of the best ways of combining synchronous  with teaching and learning methodologies in a classroom, The application of synchronous classroom in secondary schools, particularly in Akwa Ibom State is still at its infancy. The majority of pre-service teachers are neither familiar, nor skilful in employing this tool in the process of learning. Exposure to this tool during pre-service preparation program is thought to be helpful in promoting willingness to use it for classroom activities and also to enhance their academic performance. It is in light of this that this study attempts to examine the influence of synchronous learning strategy on English Language students’ academic performance in secondary schools.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY  

The purpose of this study was to examine the difference in academic performance of students taught with synchronous strategy and those taught with conventional strategy.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

  1. What is the difference between academic performance of students taught synchronous strategy and those taught with conventional strategy?
  2. What is the difference in mean score of male and female students taught in a synchronous classroom/?

HYPOTHSES

  1. There  is no significant difference between academic performance of students taught synchronous strategy and those taught with conventional strategy
  2. There is no significant difference in mean score of male and female students taught in a synchronous classroom.

 

 

 

METHODOLOGY

For the purpose of this study, experimental research design in form of experiment was used. The researchers deliberately manipulated some variables by exposing the experimental group to a special treatment different from that of the control group. The target population was all the English students Four Comprehensive Secondary Schools in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. However, greater emphasis was laid on Senior Secondary One (SS1)English students because the selected topics of study favored this category of students. From the population 200, a sample of 80 students was selected using cluster sampling technique (because all the SS1 students of the school were already grouped into 4“arms” by the school management). To select 20 students from each “arm”, the researchers asked the students of the “arms” to pick reshuffled cards from a basket. Students that picked cards with the inscription “yes” became members of the sample. All the 80 students from the sample population were made to pick reshuffled cards with the inscriptions “A” or “B” to fall into two groups of 40 students each: the experimental group (designated as group ‘A’), and the control group (designated as group ‘B’). The researchers developed an instructional package (Programmed Instruction- PI) containing drills, practice, and animation, on one fundamental SS1 English topics: “Part of speech” . The content was in agreement with the Senior Secondary English  Curriculum   designed  and  produced by the National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC, 1995) and used by  public secondary school.

 

 

 

 RESULTS

RESEARCH QUESTION 1

 

What is the difference between academic performance of students taught with synchronous strategy and those taught with conventional strategy?

 

Table 1; Mean and Standard Deviation Anatysis on synchronous strategy

  Group N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
Synchronous_strategy Experimental 40 26.9000 11.41479 1.80484
Control 40 37.3500 15.28121 2.41617

The result indicates the mean difference of 10.45. based on this result it is clear that synchronous strategy is effective in student learning of English Language in secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State.

 

RESEARCH QUESTION 2

 

What is the difference in mean score of male and female students taught in a synchronous classroom?

 

Table 2; Mean and Standard Deviation Analysis on synchronous strategy based on Male and Female

 

 

 
  Group N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
Synchronous_strategy Male 40 26.7000 10.24620 1.62007
Female 40 37.3500 15.28121 2.41617

 

The result indicates the mean difference of 10.65. Based on this result it is clear that synchronous strategy is effective in student learning of English Language in secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State based on male and female.

 

HYPOTHSIS TESTING
HO1.  There  is  no significant difference between academic performance of students taught synchronous strategy and those taught with conventional strategy

 

Table 3; T,Test Analysis of Synchronous Strategy based on Experimental and Control Group

VARIABLE                  N         X            SD              df             t             Sig.(2tailed)

Experimental Group    40            26.90       11.41

78            -3.47            .001

Control  Group             40        37.35       15.28

————————————————————————————————————

Table 3 reveals that p. value is less than .05 with 78 degrees of freedom and means of 26.90 and 37.35 respectively. Based on this result (.001 < .05) the null hypothesis is rejected while the alternative is upheld that there is a significant difference between academic performance of students taught synchronous strategy and those taught with conventional strategy.

 

HO2 There is no significant difference in mean score of male and female students taught in a synchronous classroom.

Table 3; T,Test Analysis of Synchronous Strategy based on Male and Female

VARIABLE       N         X            SD              df             t             Sig.(2tailed)

Male                 40      26.70       10.25

78            -3.66            .000

Female             40        37.35       15.28

——————————————————————————————————

Table 3 reveals that p. value is less than .05 with 78 degrees of freedom and means of 26.90 and 37.35 respectively. Based on this result (.000 < .05) the null hypothesis is rejected while the alternative is upheld that there is a significant difference between academic performance of students taught synchronous strategy based on male and female students.

 

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

 

Hypothesis one reveals that there is a significant difference between mean score of experimental group and control group. Indicating that synchronous strategy is effective in teaching English language in secondary schools. This finding is in agreement with finding of (Quible, 2005). That synchronous learning are usually supported by synchronous ICT facilities. Through the use of the synchronous media, for example; students watch a live streaming of a class. They take part in a chat and students and instructors participate in the class with the help of web conference tools such as blackboard-collaborate learning environment.

Hypothesis two further reveals that there is a significant difference in the mean score of male and female students when using synchronous strategy. This result is in line with the finding of (Evans,1994). Over the years, researches have shown that male dominate in the use of computer even in a situation where male and female are given equal access, men are more likely to be the main user of ICT than women and (Pitler, 2007). that, recent Research have found out that the original gender gap in computer and Internet use appears to have narrowed to the point of nonexistence.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the conclusion made, the following two recommendations were offered;

1.that state government should set up Educational Resource Centre in the state to enhance the utilisation of synchronous strategy.

  1. that male and female students should be motivated by teachers to appreciate synchronous learning style.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

 

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