EFFECT OF SMART VEHICLE-STARTING SYSTEM SIMULATOR ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN AUTOMOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION, KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the effect of the Smart Vehicle-Starting System Simulator (SVSSS) on
students’ academic achievement in Automobile Technology in Colleges of Education in Kwara
State, Nigeria. A quasi-experimental design of the non-randomized pretest–posttest control group
type was adopted. The population comprised students offering Automobile Technology, from
which 117 students were selected using the intact class technique and assigned to experimental
(56) and control (61) groups. The intervention lasted for six weeks, during which the experimental
group was taught using the SVSSS, while the control group was taught using the conventional
method. Data were collected using the Automobile Technology Performance Test (ATPT), which
was validated and pilot-tested, yielding a reliability coefficient of 0.824. Mean and standard
deviation were used to answer research questions, while t-test was used to test the hypotheses at
the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that students taught using the SVSSS performed
significantly better than those taught using conventional methods, and there was a significant
improvement between the pre-test and post-test scores of students exposed to the simulator.
However, no significant difference was found in the academic achievement of male and female
students taught using the SVSSS. The study concludes that the SVSSS is an effective instructional
tool for improving students’ academic achievement and promoting experiential learning in
Automobile Technology. The study implies that simulation-based instructional tools can enhance
practical understanding and improve learning outcomes in technical education.