International Journal on Studies in Education

Volume 2, Issue 2, 2020 ISSN: 2690-7909

The Effectiveness of Multimedia Instructional Learning Packages in

Enhancing Secondary School Students’ Attitudes toward Biology
Bukola Omowumi Akinbadewa
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria, [email protected]

Olaniyi Alaba Sofowora

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract: The study investigated the effectiveness of multimedia learning packages in improving the attitudes
of students toward learning Biology in secondary schools. The study employed a quantitative and qualitative
research approach. The population for the study consisted of all students offering Biology as a subject in the
senior secondary schools in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Nigeria, from where a sample of 80
students was randomly selected from three secondary schools and assigned to three groups (one control and two
experimental groups). Two multimedia instructional learning packages (MILP) were designed for the study.
The topic treated was Cell Division, and the study lasted for six weeks. The packages and all instruments used
were validated for content and construct validity, and reliability test was also done. The results showed that
multimedia instructional packages used in teaching and learning Biology in secondary schools enhanced better
students’ engagements and positive attitudes toward learning. It was concluded that students developed positive
attitudes toward learning Biology after using the packages and that multimedia instructional packages are an
interesting and creative method of teaching, learning, and enhancing positive attitudes towards learning among
secondary school students.

Keywords: Multimedia instructional learning packages, Attitude, Meaningful learning, Academic achievement,
Biology, Secondary schools

Introduction
Students’ attitudes, whether positive or negative, are found to directly or indirectly affect their learning.
Positive students’ attitudes result in successful learning, and, negative students’ attitudes have been linked to
the poor performance of students. Literature showed that there is a noticeable gap in students' attitudes or
perceptions of learning. Low information literacy level and negative attitude to learning has been found to
constitute a serious obstacle to the enhancement of student's learning and are indicators of the necessity for
integrating emerging technologies in learning, especially, in the field of Science (Davies & West, 2014;
Bawden, 1990). To this effect, technology integration in education is suggested and explored. Several studies
have been conducted to examine the impact of integrating multiple media modalities into the curriculum, more
particularly in the areas where students have difficulties in their ability to envision and manipulate multi-
dimensional information spaces (Jekinson, 2009).

Hence, to aid understanding of complex concepts such as is found in Science, Mathematics, Medicine, and
Engineering, amongst others, researchers such as Mayer (2005) suggested visual and auditory representation of
information. Similarly, Sweller (1989) suggested the cognitive load theory, noting that information should be
presented in schemas (small chunks) so that the working memory is not overloaded. While several studies have
reported that multimedia can improve academic achievement (Park, et al., 2019; Moussa-Inaty, et al., 2019;
Saputri & Indriayu, 2018), some other studies shared contrary opinion about the effectiveness of multimedia in
improving the attitude of students towards Science and its related disciplines (Smith, Cavanaugh, & Moore,
2011; Ercan, 2014; Zahorec, Haskova & Bilek, 2014; Lipnevich, Gjicali, & Krumm, 2016; and Kareem, 2018).

Biology is one of the Science subjects that occupy a unique position in schools curriculum. It is an integral part
of Science and its importance in the field of science cannot be overemphasized. However, the performance of
students in the subject has been appalling. In attempt solve the problem, researchers (such as Ahmed &
Abimbola, 2011; Cimer, 2012; Agboghoroma & Oyovwi, 2015; Etobro & Fabinu, 2017) found that many
students perceive Biology topics as boring, abstract and too difficult to understand. Also, there is the problem of

119
 International Journal on Studies in Education (IJonSE)

overcrowded classrooms, and poor teaching methods adopted by teachers (Olaleye, Ajayi, & Oyebola, 2017;
Gimba, Hassan, Yaki, & Chado, 2018).

Positive attitude toward school and learning has been identified as a precursor to effective learning and
academic success (Loyd & Gressard, 1984a; Topală, 2014; Verešová & Mala, 2016 and Dagnew, 2017).
Indeed, research has demonstrated that positive attitudes increase the potential for academic success.
Conversely, a negative attitude makes academic success less likely (Loyd & Gressard, 1984b). Also, a new
brain scan study carried out in Stanford revealed that a positive attitude makes the brain work better (Stillman,
2018). Hence, there is a need to determine if multimedia can indeed positively influence the attitudes of
students towards learning Biology in secondary schools. Fisbien and Ajzen (1975) explained attitude as an
important concept that is often used to understand and predict people's reaction to an object or change, and how
behaviour can be influenced. Taking into account how the use of technology to support learning in secondary
education is becoming more and more relevant, Gros, Garcia and Escofet (2012) opined that the debate must
focus on real evidence about students' attitudes toward ICT use for learning purposes. This study seeks to
provide such evidence.

Statement of the Problem

Students’ poor performance in Science has given a lot of concerns to parents, science teachers and government.
The poor performance of the students has been attributed to a negative attitude to learning, inadequate facilities,
overcrowded classrooms, lack of suitable and adequate science equipment, and poor background of students at
the foundation level. Other factors include students’ phobia for science subjects and the erroneous belief that
Biology is a difficult subject. Teachers are not left out as they sometimes evade teaching some aspects of the
subject because of its abstractness. The state of most laboratory in schools has made the use of modern methods
and experiments difficult, and the present economic recession and irregular payment of teachers’ salaries are
contributing factors to the already complicated situation. However, there is a ray of hope as the use of
multimedia learning seems to remedy the situation.

However, the problem here is that there are conflicting opinions about the effectiveness of these media in
teaching and learning. The old school of thoughts holds the assumption that multi-media learning distracts
learners from learning. Hence, we have two schools of thought which includes those who share the opinion that
Multi-media learning is effective in enhancing learning and the others that opined that it should not be
integrated into instruction. Other challenges faced are that, even in schools where there are facilities for
multimedia learning, most of the students do not utilize them for learning because of lack of constant supply of
electricity and high cost of maintenance.

Also, in many schools where the facilities are available, they are closely guarded and not within the reach of the
students to use thereby discouraging the students from utilizing them for individualized learning. These
problems have made students rely on the teacher's instructions only, and year in year out, students’
performance, particularly in Sciences and its related disciplined have been appalling, and this has also
contributed to poor students’ attitude and perception of Science, particularly Biology, making many students
perceive biology as a boring, abstract and too difficult subject to understand. Therefore, there is a need to
explore a change in teaching strategy from the conventional long-standing “talk and chalk” method, to
computer-based multimedia supported one and see its effect on students’ attitude and engagement in Biology.

Research Objectives

The objectives of this study are as follows:

i. examine the effectiveness of multimedia learning in enhancing students' engagements and attitude
towards Biology in secondary schools;
ii. investigate the effectiveness of the multimedia packages in enhancing students' academic achievement
in Biology

Research Questions

i. What is the level of achievement of the students after being exposed to the treatments?

120
 International Journal on Studies in Education (IJonSE)

ii. What is the attitude of students towards the multimedia instructional learning
packages?
iii. How effective are the packages in enhancing students' engagement and attitude
towards Biology in the selected area of study?

Theoretical Framework
This study was guided by the Cognitive Theory of Multi-media learning of Mayer (2005) and Meaningful
Learning by Smith and Ragan (1999). The Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning describes how learners
build mental representations of multi-media materials. The theory explains that students learn more deeply with
a combination of words and pictures than with either words or pictures alone. Based on the theory, multimedia
brings about meaningful learning, and meaningful learning can only be said to have been achieved if the learner
can apply the knowledge of what he/she has learned in new situations. The Cognitive theory of multimedia
learning presents an idea that care must be taken when designing multimedia instructions so that the multimedia
elements are selected dynamically and organized to produce logical mental constructs.

According to Smith and Ragan (1999), there is a cognitive process that precedes meaningful learning. For it to
occur, the learner must be actively involved in knowledge constructs. The process must also involve: Selection
of relevant information; Organization of information in a meaningful way, and Integration of information with
learner prior knowledge (see Figure 1). The principles extracted from these theories are utilized in the design of
the multimedia instructional learning packages

SELECTING ORGANIZING INTEGRATING

S O I
Figure 1. SOI Meaningful Learning Model
.
The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is aimed at developing a model for explaining and predicting users'
acceptance of a certain information system (Davis, Baagozzi & Warshaw, 1989). The theory explains that
human behaviour is directly preceded by the intention to perform the behaviour and that three factors are found
to influence intentions: personal beliefs, one’s norms, and the (perceived) amount of behavioural control an
individual has. From the perspective of TAM, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness are assumed to be
related to the acceptance of a technology system. TAM assumed that external variables affect perceived
usefulness and perceived ease of use directly, both of which were factors in the Technology Acceptance (Davis
et al., 1989; Legris, Ingham & Collerette, 2003).

Applying the above to this study, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use is the belief that the users
perceive that the multimedia instructional learning packages would enhance their learning performance and be
easy to use. Hence, a strengthening of this belief creates a positive attitude toward multimedia instructions. The
attitude toward using a given technology could be hinged on the overall evaluation that predicted a user's
likelihood of adopting the technology. Past researches indicated that attitude was influenced by both perceived
ease of use and perceived usefulness (Dabholkar & Bagozzi, 2002; Hussein, 2017; Weng, Yang, Ho, & Su,
2018; Teo, Zhou, Fan, & Huang, 2019). Hence, if students believe that multimedia packages would help them
to have a better understanding of a topic and better performance, they might accept its use and therefore, a
commitment of students to its use may also be studied.

Methodology
The study adopted a quantitative and qualitative research approach. For the quantitative research, the study
employed a posttest-only experimental research design, and for the qualitative aspect, a focus group discussion
was done at the end of the study to further contextualize the findings, get beyond superficial answers, and
uncover insights into the respondents’ attitudes.

121
 International Journal on Studies in Education (IJonSE)

Study Group

The population consisted of all students offering Biology as a subject in the senior secondary schools in Ibadan
North Local Government Area, Nigeria, from where a sample of 80 students was randomly selected from three
government secondary schools. The samples were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one
control group. The first experimental group was exposed to MILP 1, and the second experimental group was
exposed to MILP 2. The third group was the control group that used the conventional "chalk and talk"
instructional method. The topic treated was cell division: mitosis and meiosis. The study lasted for six weeks.

Research Instruments

The following instruments were used for the study: Multimedia instructional learning package 1 (MILP 1);
Multimedia instructional learning package 2 (MILP 2); Multimedia instructional package workbook (MIPWB);
Multimedia Learning Attitudinal Scale (MLAS); and Focus group discussion guide (FGDG).

Multimedia Instructional Learning Package 1 (MILP 1)

The package was designed by the researchers based on the cognitive principle of multimedia learning as
explained by Mayer (2005). The package was designed to teach one of the experimental groups. It includes
contents on cell division. The following multimedia elements were used in the design: texts, sounds, narration,
navigational structure, images.

Multimedia Instructional Learning Package 2 (MILP 2)

This instructional package contained contents on the topic: cell division. The following multimedia elements
were used in the design: texts, short videos, navigational structure/ hyperlinks, Sounds, narrations, and images.
After the packages were designed, they were given to three experts in Educational Technology, Tests and
Measurement, and one Biology teacher for face and content validity after which they were used on a
representative sample. Corrections were made before they were used in the main study.

The Multimedia Instructional Package Work Book (MIPWB)

The workbook was designed by the researcher for students in the experimental groups to answer the theory
questions that were provided when interacting with the packages. The workbook was in two parts. Part A
included the students' demographic data, and part B was the area for answering questions.

Multimedia Learning Attitudinal Scale (MLAS)

MLAS measured the effectiveness of the packages in enhancing students' attitude towards Biology in the study
area (see Appendix 1). It comprised two sections. The first section, section A comprised of students'
demographic data. The second part, section B contained 10 items using a 5-point Likert scale: Strongly Agree
(SA), Agree (A), Uncertain (U), Disagree (D), and Strongly Disagree (SD). The face and content validity of the
instrument was determined before it was used in the study. The instrument was also administered on 20
students exposed to the packages that were not part of the samples, to determine its reliability and a Cronbach
alpha value of 0.90 was obtained.

Biology Achievement Test

The Biology Achievement Test (BAT) consists of 30 multiple-choice questions on Cell Division with four
possible answers for each question (see Appendix 2). The items were extracted from past questions between the
years 2005 and 2015 from West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), a standardized examination body in
West Africa. To ensure further validity of the instrument for the set of students in the study, the face and
content validity of the instrument was done. Two Biology teachers, two Educational Technologists and one
expert of Test and Measurement participated in the validation of the instrument. The BAT was also trial tested
on 20 students from two schools not participating in the research to test for its reliability. From the students'

122
 International Journal on Studies in Education (IJonSE)

responses, a reliability coefficient of 0.72 was established using the Kuder-Richardson (KR 20) formula. The
instrument was used as the post-test in the three groups.

Focus Group Discussion Guide

This instrument was designed and used by the researcher for the qualitative aspect of the study (see Appendix
3). The guide consists of 7 items, and measures three constructs: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use
and perceived enjoyment. The questions in the guide were asked the students at the end of the study.

Data Analysis

Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean, standard deviation, frequencies, and
percentages.

Results
Demographics

Table 1 showed that 80 students participated in the study, out of which 55% were male and 45% female.
Furthermore, 80% of the students were between 14 and 16 years. Similarly, 10% of the students were between
the ages of 11 and 13, and 5% of the students were 17 years and above.

Table 1. Gender and Age Distribution of the Students

Variables Frequencies Percentage (%)
Gender
Male 44 55.0
Female 36 45.0
Age
11 – 13 8 10.0
14 – 16 64 80.0
17 and above 4 5.0
No indication 4 5.0
Total 80 100

Answers to the Research Questions

R.Q 1: What is the level of students’ achievement in Biology when exposed to the treatments?

Table 2 showed the performance of students according to their treatment groups. In the control group, 50% of
the students in the group failed the test, 50% had a credit score, and none of the students in the group had a
distinction. However, in the experimental group I, 9.5% of the students failed the test, 80.9% of the students
had credit score, and 9.5% had distinction. In the experimental group II, none of the students failed the test,
52.6% of the students had credit pass and 47.4% had distinction. This implies that students in the control group
had a low level of academic achievement in Biology compared to the other groups. Those in the experimental
group I had a high level of academic achievement and those in experimental group II had the highest level of
academic achievement amongst the three groups.

Table 2. Students’ Performance based on Treatment Groups

Score Control group Exp. group I Exp. group II
0 – 12 20 (50.0) 02 (9.5) 0 (0.0)
13 – 15 07 (17.5) 05 (23.8) 0 (0.0)
16 – 18 09 (22.5) 07 (33.3) 03 (15.8)
19 – 21 04 (10.0) 05 (23.8) 07 (36.8)
22 and above 0 (0.0) 02 (9.5) 09 (47.4)
Total 40 21 19

123
 International Journal on Studies in Education (IJonSE)

R.Q 2: What is the attitude of students towards the multimedia instructional packages?

Table 3 revealed that 80.3% of the students in the two experimental groups exhibited a positive attitude towards
the multimedia instructional packages and rated the packages as very effective in developing positive attitudes
towards Biology (cumulative men = 3.21). Majority of the students agreed that they were very confident about
answering the biology questions after using the multimedia instructional packages (mean = 3.43). They also
rated the multimedia instructional packages high as tools for enhancing individualized learning (mean = 3.48).
Similarly, the students rated multimedia instructional packages as a creative method of teaching (mean = 3.65).
Besides, the multimedia packages were rated as very interesting (mean = 3.13) and the students believed that
the packages would enhance better performance in Biology (mean = 2.98).

Table 3. Students’ Attitude towards the Multimedia Instructional Packages

s/n Items SA A U D SD Mean SD
1. I feel very confident 18 21 - 1 -
towards answering (45.0) 52.5) (0.0) (2.5) (0.0 ) 3.43 .55
Biology questions after
using the multimedia
instructional package
2 The multimedia package 19 21 - - -
allowed me to learn on (47.5) (52.5) (0.0) (0.0) (0.0) 3.48 .51
my own
3 The use of multimedia 26 14 - - -
instructional package for (65.0) (35.0) (0.0) (0.0) (0.0) 3.65 .48
learning Biology was a
good idea
4 I found the multimedia 22 17 - 1 -
package very interesting (55.0) (42.5) (0.0) (2.5) (0.0) 3.53 .55
for learning Biology
5 I enjoyed the evaluation 24 10 6 - -
questions in the packages (60.0) (25.0) (15.0) (0.0) (0.0) 3.15 1.41
6 I know I would perform 19 11 4 4 2
better in Biology if my (47.5) (27.5) (10.0) (10.0) (5.0) 2.98 1.31
teacher frequently uses
multimedia packages like
this to teach other topics
too
7 I like the navigational 15 20 4 1 -
structure of the package (37.5) (50.0) (10.0) (2.5) (0.0) 3.05 1.15
8 Interacting with this 17 19 4 - -
package made Biology (42.5) (47.5) (10.0) (0.0) (0.0) 3.13 1.16
interesting to learn
9 The package did not 3 8 6 9 14
satisfy my need for (7.5) (20.0) (15.0) (22.5) (35.0) 2.55 1.43
instruction
10 The time I spent using the 1 4 4 6 25
package was a waste (2.5) (10.0) (10.0) (15.0) (62.5) 3.18 1.32
Cumulative mean = 3.21 (80.3%)

R.Q 3: How effective is the package in enhancing students' engagement and attitude towards learning of
Biology in the selected area of study?

Qualitative Analysis of Focus Group Discussion: Focus group discussion was used to measure students'
interaction, engagement and attitude towards the treatment in the experimental groups. Three constructs were
used to gather the report: Perceived Usefulness (PU), Perceived Ease of Use (PEU) and Perceived Enjoyment
(PE). Two focus group discussion was done, one in the experimental group I, consisting of 21 students, and the
other in experimental group II, consisting of 19 students. Responses from the two groups are quite similar.
Hence, they are summarized together. Table 4 provides a summary of responses from the focus group
discussion in the experimental groups.

124
 International Journal on Studies in Education (IJonSE)

Table 4. Summary of Responses Elicited from Focus Group Discussion in the Experimental Groups
Construct Items Statement Summarized responses Remarks/discussion
1 Did you find the package easy Both groups responded in Students found
to use? Chorus answer: yes, very packages easy to use
Perceived easy to use.
ease of use Navigation worked properly
How often did you intend Responses: always, Students intend using the
using the package if you Every day, every week packages
2 have it? frequently
Majority respond in Students perceived the
Do you think the package chorus answer: yes, sure. packages as a very useful
3 will aid your learning of Reasons: yes, because and creative tool for
Biology topics? 1. I can see the pictures learning
clearly Biology
Why? 2. I can go back to play it
as many times as I
want, to repeat the topic
Perceived 3. I can go back to the
usefulness previous lesson if I
don’t fully understand
4. I watched the video of
how the concepts
happen, and I can
replay the video (for
those in experimental
group II).
Do you think the package All students in chorus Students have a positive
4 help you understand answer: yes…. attitude towards the
Biology? learning packages and
Biology
What do you like about the Majority: animations, Students’ liked the
5. package pictures, navigation packages

Minority: narration
6. What do you dislike about the Chorus answer: nothing… Students are satisfied with
package? the packages
7. Would you like to share the Chorus answer: yes… Students have a positive
Perceived package with your friends attitude towards the
enjoyment who are not part of this packages
group?

Discussion
The findings of the study showed that multimedia instructional learning packages enhanced students’ academic
achievement in biology. Students in the experimental groups exposed to the multimedia instructional learning
packages had higher achievement scores than those in the control group that was exposed to the conventional
teaching method. The reason for the higher achievement of the experimental groups might be because their
instruction was active, interesting and personalized, with a student to a computer. Therefore, extraneous factors
such as noise and other distractions were controlled.

An additional explanation for this effect could be associated with the interesting activities students were
engaged in while interacting with the packages. These activities include voice narrations, navigational
structures, animations, evaluation questions, immediate feedback, and short videos (for those in experimental
group II). This finding is in agreement with the assertion of Mayer (2009) that using multimedia was more
effective when it is interactive and under the control of the learner. Also, this finding supports previous studies
that multimedia learning packages enhanced students’ academic achievement (Saputri & Indriayu, 2018;
Saputri & Indriayu, 2018; Park, et al., 2019; Sahronih, Purwanto, & Sumantri, 2019; Yeşilbağ, Korkmaz, &
Çakir, 2020; Ayittey, Arthur-Nyarko, & Onuman, 2020). The higher achievement score of students exposed to
the MILP 2 could be as a result of the short video clips integrated into the package for each topic, which was

125
 International Journal on Studies in Education (IJonSE)

not found in MILP I. This was in line with the finding of Carmichael, Reid, & Karpicke (2018) that videos
could help focus users’ attention and provide clarity and explicitness to concepts beyond what was made
possible with pictures or words alone. Therefore, integrating videos clips into multimedia packages could
positively impact learning than graphics without video.

The findings of the study also revealed that students exhibited positive attitudes towards multimedia
instructional learning packages and were of the view that learning Biology became interesting, creative and
activity-based. Students also exhibited a higher confidence level in answering questions in Biology after
utilizing the packages. This implies that the use of multimedia packages enhanced better students’ perception of
Biology, improved their attitude towards the subject and subsequently results in a higher learning outcome.
Corroborating the present findings were previous studies (such as of Ercan, 2014; Zahorec, et al., 2014; Shah &
Khan 2015; Ilhan & Oruç, 2016; Solpuk, 2017; Kareem, 2018; Park, et al., 2018) that revealed that attitude
affects student achievement, and that multimedia assisted teaching was effective in improving students'
academic achievement in different subjects.

Similarly, the analysis of the focus group discussion revealed that students have a positive perception of
multimedia instructional learning packages in terms of its usefulness in learning, ease of use and enjoyment.
Utilizing such packages made the learning of Biology very interesting. This finding is similar to that of Vilia, et
al. (2017) that revealed that attitude has a significantly positive relationship with students’ achievement. This
has implications for teaching and learning in schools. It is an indication that both attitudinal and cognitive
variables should be considered when designing instruction and learning contents in Biology. Hence, instructions
should be designed to be interesting, and not vague or overloading to the students. To achieve this, instructions
should be broken into small engaging units that students can focus attention at a time, making them active
participants in the learning process, and positively influencing their attitudes toward learning.

The results of this study revealed that students find multimedia packages interesting, positively engaging, and
impactful for learning. This finding is in agreement with that of Vagg, Bolger, Balta, & Lone (2020) that
students like when multimedia are integrated in their school’s curriculum. Likewise, this finding is in agreement
with that of Vilia, et al. (2017) carried out among some 9 th grade Portuguese students that both attitude and
cognitive variables have impacts on the academic achievement of students in science education, and both
should be considered when designing educational interventions.

Similarly, the result of the experimental study conducted by Chakraborty (2019) among some randomly
selected secondary school class VIII Students in West Bengal reveals that multimedia instructional packages
enhanced the participation rate of students and engage them in learning. The following scholars also found that
multimedia use enhanced students’ motivation, achievement and positively affected their attitudes towards
learning (Janssen & O’Brien 2014; Beydogan & Hayram, 2015; Ilhan & Oruç, 2016; Verešová, 2016;
Omwirhiren & Anderson, 2016 and Weng, Ho, Yang, & Weng, 2018). Therefore, the result of this study
revealed that attitude toward learning is an important precursor to academic achievement, and the better the
attitude, the higher the academic output.

Conclusions
The results of the study showed that multimedia instructional learning packages were an interesting and creative
method of teaching and learning Biology and that the multimedia packages enhanced meaningful learning and
improved students’ attitudes towards Biology. Therefore, it is concluded that multimedia instructional packages
be utilized in secondary schools for improved academic achievement, engagement and to improve students
attitudes toward learning Biology.

Based on the analysis of the data, the following are the summary of the findings:
i. It was found that multimedia learning packages were an interesting and creative method of teaching and
learning Biology.
ii. It was also found that students developed a positive attitude towards learning of Biology after being
exposed to the packages.
iii. Similarly, the packages enhanced better students’ engagement during learning.
iv. Students have a positive attitude towards multimedia instructional learning packages.

126
 International Journal on Studies in Education (IJonSE)

Recommendations
Based on the result of this study, the following recommendations are made:
i. Multimedia instructional packages should be introduced to secondary schools for teaching and learning
different subjects, most especially Biology.
ii. Multimedia instructional packages should be utilized in secondary schools to develop a better attitude
towards biology and other science subjects among secondary school students.
iii. Pre-service teachers in the course of their training should be trained on how to design, develop and use
multimedia instructional packages to foster learning and also, in-service teachers should be trained on
how to develop and integrate multimedia instructional packages in their classes.
iv. School administrators should be oriented on the benefits of using multimedia packages in teaching their
students.

References
Agboghoroma, T. E. & Oyovwi, E. O. (2015). Evaluating Effect of Students Academic Achievement on
Identified Difficult Concepts in Senior Secondary School Biology in Delta State. Journal of Education
and Practice, 6(30), ISSN 2222-1735 (paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online)
Ahmed, M. A., & Abimbola, I. O. (2011). Influence of teaching experience and school location on Biology
teachers' rating of the difficult levels of nutrition concepts in Ilorin, Nigeria. JOSTMED, 7(2), 52-61.
Ayittey, A., Arthur-Nyarko, E., & Onuman, F. (2019). Impact of Multimedia Instruction in Biology on Senior
High School Students' Achievement. Computer Science and Information Technology 7(5), 162-173.
https://doi.org/10.13189/csit.2019.070502.
Bawden (1990). User-oriented evaluation of information services. Aldershot, England: Gower.
Beydogan, H. Ö. & Hayran, Z. (2015). The effect of multimedia-based learning on the concept of learning
levels and attitudes of students. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 60, 261-280.
https://doi.org/10.14689/ejer.2015.60.14
Carmichael, M., Reid, A-K., & Karpicke, J. D. (2018). Assessing the Impact of Educational Video on Student
Engagement, Critical Thinking and Learning: The Current State of Play. A SAGE Whitepaper, SAGE
Publishing, 1-21.
Chakraborty, M. (2019). Impact of Mulitimedia on Learners Enggement: An Experimntal Study. Journal of
Information and Computational Science, 9(10), 196-206, ISSN: 1548-7741.
Cimer, A. (2012). What makes biology learning difficult and effective: students' views. Educational research
and reviews,7(3), 61 – 71.
Dabholkar, P. & Bagozzi, R. (2002). An attitudinal model of technology-based self-service: moderating effects
of customer traits and situational factors. Journal of the academy of marketing science – J ACAD MARK
SCI. 30, 184-201. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092070302303001
Davis, F. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology.
MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319 - 340.
Davis, F. D., Bagozzi, R. P. & Warshaw, P. R. (1989). User acceptance of computer technology: A comparison
of two theoretical models. Management Science, 35(8), 982–1002.
Davies, R. S., & West, R. E. (2014). Technology integration in schools. In Handbook of research on
educational communications and technology (4th ed., pp. 841–853). Springer New York.
Dagnew, A. (2017). The Relationship Between Students Attitudes Towards Schools, Values of Education,
Achievement Motivation and Academic Achievement in Gondar Secondary Schools, Ethiopia. Research
in Pedagogy, 3(1), 30-42. https://doi.org/10.17810/2015.46
Ercan, O. (2014). The Effects of Multimedia Learning Material on Students' Academic Achievement and
Attitude towards Science Courses. Journal of Baltic Science Education, 13(5), 608-621, ISSN 16483898.
Etobro, B.A., & Fabinu, E. O. (2017). Students' Perceptions of Difficult Concepts in Biology in Senior
Secondary Schools in Lagos State. Global Journal of Educational Research, 16, 139-147, ISSN
15966224. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/gjedr.v16i2.8.
Fisbien, M., & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, Attitude, Intention and Behaviour: an introduction to theory and
research. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley
Gambari, A. I., Shittu, A. T., Daramola, F. O., & James, M. (2016). Effects of Video-Based Cooperative,
Competitive and Individualized Instructional Strategies on the Performance of Senior Secondary Schools
Students in Geometry. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 4(4).
Gambari, I.A., Yaki, A. A., Gana, E. S., & Ughovwa, Q. E. (2014), Improving Secondary School Students'
Achievement and Retention in Biology through Video-based Multimedia Instruction. Insight: Journal of
Scholarly Teaching, 9, 78 – 91.

127
 International Journal on Studies in Education (IJonSE)

Gimba, R. W., Hassan, A. M., Yaki, A. A., & Chado, A. M. (2018). Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions on the
Problems of Effective Teaching and Learning of Science and Technology in Junior Secondary Schools.
Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Sciences 6(1), 34-42.
Gros, B., Garcia, l., & Escofet, A. (2012). Beyond the Net Generation Debate: A Comparison between Digital
Learners in Face-to-Face and Virtual Universities. The International Review of Research in Open and
Distributed Learning, 13(4), 190-210, https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v13i4.1305
Hussein, Z. (2016). Leading to intention: the role of attitude in relation to technology acceptance model in
ELearning. IEEE International Symposium on Robotics and Intelligent Sensors, IRIS 2016, 17-20,
Tokyo,
Japan. Procedia Computer Science 105(2017): 159-164. Https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2017.01.196
Ilhan, G. O., & Oruç, S. (2016). Effect of the use of multimedia on students' performance: A case study of
social studies class. Educational Research and Reviews, 11(8), pp. 877-882, Article Number:
5047F0A58349. ISSN 1990-3839. https://doi.org/10.5897/ERR2016.274
Janssen, S., & O'Brien, M. (2014) Disentangling the Effects of Student Attitudes and Behaviors on Academic
Performance. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 8(2).
https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2014.080207
Jekinson, J. (2009). Measuring the effectiveness of Educational Technology: what are we Attempting to
Measure? Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 7(3), 273-280.
Kareem, A. A. (2018). The use of Multimedia in Teaching Biology and its Impact on Students' learning
outcomes. Conference Papers. University of Lagos Library and Information Service.
Https://ir.unilag.edu.ng:8080/handle/123456789/3411.
Koseoglu, P., & Efendioglu, A. (2015). Can a Multimedia Tool Help Students' Learning Performance in
Complex Biology Subjects? South African Journal of Education, 35(4), 1-12,
https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v35n4a1169.
Loyd, B., & Gressard, C. (1984a). The effects of sex, age, and computer experience on computer attitudes.
AEDS Journal 18(2), 67-77.
Loyd, B. & Gressard, C. (1984b). Reliability and factor validity of computer attitude scales. Educational and
Psychological Measurement, 44(2), 501-505.
Legris, P., Ingham, J., & Collerette, P. (2003). Why do People Use Information Technology? A Critical Review
of the Technology Acceptance Model. Information and Management, 40, 191 – 204.
Lipnevich A.A., Gjicali K., & Krumm S. (2016). Understanding Attitudes in Education. In: Khine M.S.,
Areepattamannil S. (eds), Non-cognitive Skills and Factors in Educational Attainment. Contemporary
Approaches to Research in Learning Innovations. Sense Publishers, Rotterdam, Online ISBN 978-
946300-591-3. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6300-591-3_6
Mayer, R. E. (2003). Elements of a science of e-learning. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 29(3),
297-313.
Mayer, R. E. (2005). Cognitive theory of multimedia learning. In R.E. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook
of Multimedia Learning. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Moreno, R., & Mayer, R. E. (2000). A coherence effect in multimedia learning: The case for minimizing
irrelevant sounds in the design of multimedia instructional messages. Journal of Educational
Psychology, 92, 117–125.
Olaleye, F., Ajayi, A., & Oyebola, B. (2017). Impact of Overcrowded Classroom on Academic Performance of
Students in Selected Public Secondary Schools in Surelere Local Government of Lagos State. 110-132.
Omwirhiren, E. M., & Anderso F. E. (2016). Effect of Class Size and Students' Attitude on Academic
Performance in Chemistry at Demonstration Secondary School, IOSR Journal of Research & Method in
Education (IOSR-JRME) e-ISSN: 2320–7388, p-ISSN: 2320– 737X, 6(1), 01-06.
Sahronih, S., Purwanto, A., & Sumantri, M. S. (2019). The Effect of Interactive Learning Media on Students'
Science Learning Outcomes. ICIET 2019: Proceedings of the 2019 7th International Conference on
Information and Education Technology March 2019, 20–24. https://doi.org/10.1145/3323771.3323797
Shah, I., & Khan, M. (2015). Impact of Multimedia-aided Teaching on Students' Academic Achievement and
Attitude at Elementary Level Iqbal. US-China Education Review A, 5(5), 349-360.
https://doi.org/10.17265/2161-623X/2015.05.006
Smith, Ru., Cavanaugh, C., & Moore, W. (2011). Instructional multimedia: An investigation of student and
instructor attitudes and student study behavior. BMC medical education. 11. 38.
Https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-11-38.
Smith, P.L., & Ragan, T.J. (1999). Instructional Design. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company
Sölpük, N. (2017). The Effect of Attitude on Student Achievement. In: Karadag E. (eds) The Factors Affecting
Student Achievement. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56083-0_4. Print ISBN 978-
3319-56082-3 Online ISBN 978-3-319-56083-0
Stillman, J. (2018). New Stanford Study: A Positive Attitude Literally Makes Your Brain Work Better.

128
 International Journal on Studies in Education (IJonSE)

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/stanford-research-attitude-matters-as-much-as-iq-in-
kidssuccess.html (Accessed on 19/6/2020).
Sweller, J. (1994). Cognitive load theory, learning difficulty, and instructional design. Learning and Instruction,
4, 295-312.
Teo, T., Zhou, M., Fan, A.C.W. (2019) Factors that influence university students' intention to use Moodle: a
study in Macau. Education Tech Research Dev 67, 749–766. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-01909650-x
Topală, I. (2014). Attitudes towards Academic Learning and Learning Satisfaction in Adult Students. Procedia
– Social and Behavioral Sciences, 142(2014), 227-234. Https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.07.583.
Vagg, T., Balta, J., Bolger, A., & Lone, M. (2020). Multimedia in Education: What do the Students Think?
Health Professions Education. Https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hpe.2020.04.011.
Verešová, M., & Mala, D. (2016). Attitude towards School and Learning and Academic Achievement of
Adolescents. The European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences EpSBS,
http://dx.doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2016.11.90. eISSN: 2357-1330, 870-876.
Vilia, P. N., Candeias, A. A., Neto, A. S., Franco, M. S., & Melo, M. (2017). Academic Achievement in
Physics-Chemistry: The Predicting Effect of Attitudes and Reasoning Abilities. Frontiers in Psychology,
28, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01064.
Weng, F., Yang, R-J., Ho, H-J., & Su, H-M., (2018). A TAM – Based study of the Attitude towards Use
Intention of Multimedia among School Teachers. Applied System Innovation. 1(36), 1-9,
https://doi.org/10.3390/asi1030036
Weng, F., Ho, H., Yang, R., & Weng, C. (2019). The Influence of Learning Style on Learning Attitude with
Multimedia Teaching Materials. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education,
15(1), em1659. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/100389
Yeşilbağ, S., Korkmaz, Ö. & Çakir, R. (2020). The effect of educational computer games on students’ academic
achievements and attitudes towards English lesson. Educ Inf Technol (2020).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-020-10216-1
Záhorec, J., Haškova, A., & Bílek, M. (2014). Impact of Multimedia Assisted Teaching on Student Attitudes to
Science Subjects. Journal of Baltic Science Education, 13(3), 361-380. ISSN 1648-3898.

129
 International Journal on Studies in Education (IJonSE)

Appendix 1. Multimedia Instructional Package Attitudinal Scale for Biology Students

Dear student,

This questionnaire is specifically designed for the purpose of evaluating the acceptability, usability and
effectiveness of the multimedia instructional package you interacted with earlier. Responses are strictly for
educational purpose.
Kindly fill or tick as appropriate. Thanks for your cooperation.

Section A: Personal Data

Kindly fill in and tick in the blank spaces provided below:
1. Name of School_____________________________________________________
2. Sex Male Female

Section B: Kindly tick as appropriate [ ]

SA Strongly Agree SD Strongly Disagree U uncertain A Agree

D Disagree

ATTITUDE SA A U D SD

1. I feel very confident in using the multimedia instructional package

2. The Multimedia package allows me to learn on my own

3. Using the multimedia presentation for learning is a good idea

4. I find the multimedia package very interesting for learning

5. I enjoyed the evaluation questions in the package

6. I know I will perform better in Biology if my teacher frequently uses

multimedia packages like this to teach other topics

7. I like the navigational structure of the package

8. The package gives me confidence in interacting with the computer

9. The package does not satisfy my need for instructions.

10. The time I spent using the package is a waste

130
 International Journal on Studies in Education (IJonSE)

Appendix 2. The Biology Achievement Test (BAT)

Section A: Kindly fill and tick in the blank spaces provided below:
3. Name of School_____________________________________________________
4. Name of Student _______________________________________________
5. Sex: Male Female
6. Age: _____________

Sectıon B:
Answer the following questions by circling the correct answer or supplying the correct answer. You have 25
minutes (good luck).

1. Which of the following statement is true about the structure of a chromosome? A chromosome
consists of :
a. Two chromatids joined at the centromere b. two chromatids joined at the spindle
c. two chromatid threads joined at the spindle d. thread-like structure not joined
together
2. Chromosome pairs 1- 22 are called
a. centromere b. autosomes c. sex chromosomes d. linkage 3. What is the
ploidy number of dog?
a. 46 b. 48 c. 78 d. 76
4. Two sister chromatids are held together by
a. centromere b. centrosome c. DNA d. spindle fibre
5. The chromosome contains the following EXCEPT
a. lysosome b. DNA c. genes d. centromere
6. The haploid number of chromosomes in humans are
a. 46 b. 72 c. 42 d. 24
7. Which of the following statements is correct about the chromosomes in the gamete? At the end of the
second meiotic division,
a. each gamete contains only paternal hereditary information b. chromosomes in the four gamete cells
are diploid in number c. chromosomes contains only a random mixture of paternal and maternal
chromosomes d. chromosomes contains only maternal hereditary information
8. Before a cell divides, all the following will happen EXCEPT --------
a. DNA duplication b. cell elongation c. cell shrinks d. proteins are synthesized or produced
9. How many chromosomes are found in the human female gonad?
a. 46 b. 23 c.33 d. 13
10. In the cell cycle, the first gap of growth is called ___
a. G1 b. G0 c. M2 d. S- phase
11. The process by which the cytoplasm separates is called __________
a. plasmolysis b. mitosis c. cytokinesis d. meiosis
12. Cytokinesis of mitosis is a process that ensures that
a. each daughter cell gets the necessary organelle b. there is distribution of a complete set of genes in
each daughter cell c. daughter cells inherit new genetic combination d. worn out organelles are
excluded from daughter cells
13. Which of the following best describes homologous chromosomes? they are:
a. a product of the division of a chromosome b. two identical chromosomes from each parents c.
chromosomes arranged in spindle fibres during cell division d. daughter cells formed during meiotic
division
14. _______ is not one of the functions of mitosis
a. growth of organisms b. regeneration of bogy parts c. production of gametes d. increase in organism
size
15. Which of the following occurrence is not a feature of meiosis?
a. formation of four haploid daughter cells b. two successive nuclear division c. pairing of
homologous chromosomes at prophase d. formation of two diploid cells
16. _________ is the function or role of meiosis
a. growth of organisms b. regeneration of body parts c. production of gametes d. making clones
17. _______ takes place in sex cells or gonads
a. mitosis b. meiosis
18. Which of the following stages occurs before mitosis begins
a. prophase b. metaphase c. interphase d. telophase

131
 International Journal on Studies in Education (IJonSE)

19. During which stage does the g1, s and g2 phases occur
a. interphase b. metaphase c. telophase d. cytokinesis
20. The mitotic phase in which chromosomes align or arrange themselves in the center of the cell is called
a. interphase b. prophase c. metaphase d. telophase
21. At which of the following stages of mitosis do the two daughter chromosomes separate completely?
a. prophase b. metaphase c. anaphase d. telophase
Use the diagram below to answer questions 22 and 23
22. The diagram represents which phase during cell
division
a. prophase b. interphase c. telophase d.
metaphase
23. The part labeled 1 is the –
a. nucleus b. cytoplasm c. chromosome d. cell
membrane

24. Which of the following is found in meiosis but not in mitosis

a. chromatids b. prophase c. crossing over d. spindle fibres
25. Two chromosomes or four chromatids are called
a. diploid b. haploid c. tetrad d. homologous chromosomes
26. The site in which crossing over happens during meiotic division is called ______
a. chiasmata b. synapsis c. chromatid d. homologue
27. Crossing over occurs during which meiotic phase
a. metaphase I b. prophase I c. anaphase I d. metaphase II
28. At what stage in meiosis does the cytoplasm break to give four daughter cells
a.anaphase II b. telophase II c. metaphase II d. prophase II
29. A cell containing 20 diploid chromosomes at the beginning of meiosis would, at its completion, produce
cells containing how many chromosomes?
a. 5 b. 40 c. 10 d. 2
30. Which of the following causes variation in individuals such that offsprings don’t look alike?
a. meiosis b. mitosis c. telophase d. cytokinesis

132
 International Journal on Studies in Education (IJonSE)

Appendix 3. Focus Group Discussion Guide

1. Did you find the package easy to use?
a. Navigation
b. Graphics
2. Do you think the package would aid your learning? Give the reason(s) for your answer
3. How often do you intend using the package?
4. Do you think the package would aid your performance in Biology?
5. What do you like about the package?
6. What do you dislike about the package?
7. Would you like to share the package with others who do not have it?

133