Using interactive multimedia instructional approaches to improve academic performance of pre-service science teachers in some selected biology concepts

Abstract

This study assessed the effect of Interactive Multimedia Instructional Approaches (IMIA) on the learning outcomes of some biology concepts among pre-service science teachers at Wiawso College of Education in Ghana. The study employed an action research design with a convergent parallel mixed-method approach. Data was collected quantitatively and qualitatively and were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 27.0. The instruments used in the study were tests, questionnaires, and interviews. A total of 76 participants were involved, with a small subset (10 pre-service science teachers) selected for interviews. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used to select the participants for the study. The study revealed that the majority of respondents agreed they found it difficult to understand the different parts of cell and their functions, with a mean score of 4.75 and a standard deviation of 0.82. They also agreed that visualizing the three-dimensional structure of a cell was challenging, with the same mean value and standard deviation. Furthermore, most respondents indicated that technical difficulties hinder instruction, with a mean score of 4.28 and a standard deviation of 0.99. Finding appropriate multimedia instructional approaches that align with the curriculum was perceived as even more difficult, reflected by a mean score of 4.410 (standard deviation = 0.84). Limited access to technology and multimedia instructional approaches was another common concern, with a mean score of 4.21 (standard deviation = 0.83). The results, again, showed that a significant number of pre-service science teachers believed that integrating multimedia approaches effectively required additional time and effort, as indicated by a mean score of 3.880(standard deviation = 1.30). Moreover, the study found that the pre-service science teachers’ performance in the selected biology concepts improved significantly after being exposed to the IMIA interventions, with the average pre-test score increasing from 36.62 to an average post-test score of 71.89. Based on these results, the study recommends that Wiawso College of Education biology lecturers adopt and utilize the Interactive Multimedia Instructional Approach, to better support pre-service science teachers in learning abstract biology concepts like cell structure, cell division, and Mendelian genetics at the college level.