Effects of place-based and activity-based approaches in technical education, interest and retention

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the effects of place-based and activity-based learning approaches on students’ achievement, interest and retention in technical education. A pre-test, post-test, non-equivalent control group, quasi-experimental research design was adopted. The study constituted a total number of 122 subjects, 63 for the place-based education, while 59 for the activity-based learning. Three research questions and three null hypotheses, tested at 0.05 level of significance, guided the study. The instruments used for data collection were Technical Education Cognitive Achievement Test (TECAT), Technical Education Psychomotor Achievement Test (TEPAT) and Technical Education Interest Inventory (TEII) The reliability coefficient obtained was 0.78. Mean was used to answer the research questions; while ANCOVA was employed to test the hypotheses. The study revealed that students taught Technical education using the place-based education instructional approach had a higher mean score than students taught using the activity-based learning teaching method in cognitive achievement test, psychomotor achievement test and test for retention of learning. It was recommended among others that; The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) should consider a review of technical education curriculum for Technical Colleges with a view to incorporating the place-based education instructional approach into the teaching of technical education.