Utilization of digital tools and effect in the teaching and learning of integrated science in tertiary institutions in Southwest, Nigeria

Integrated Science remains the gateway to all sciences that students need to be well grounded in it to be able to study single sciences or choose a career in science. The study examined the effect of digital tools on tertiary institution students’ academic performance in integrated science in the Southwest States. The study adopted mixed-methods approach of both the descriptive survey and non-equivalent pretest, posttest control group quasi-experimental research design. The population of the study comprised all integrated science students in tertiary institutions, lecturers and Information Communication Technology (ICT) administrators. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select the sample size for the study. The six state were grouped into three strata with two State each, three states were selected from the strata using stratified sampling, from each state, tertiary institutions offering integrated science were purposively selected and the sample size were selected using simple random sampling techniques. The sampled States were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group respectively. The sample consisted of 163 students for the treatment group with 18 others that are lecturers and ICT administrator. Experimental group A was taught BST concepts using digital tool (virtual classroom), experimental group B was taught the same concepts using digital tool (flipped classroom) and the control group was taught using the conventional method. The treatments lasted for twelve weeks. Two instruments were used for data collection. They are: “Integrated Science Achievement Test” (ITSAT), used to examine students’ academic performance for the pre, post and retention tests, and questionnaire ‘‘Digital tools utilization Questionnaire in the teaching and learning of Integrated Science’’ (DITUQTLITS), Data collected were analysed using mean, standard deviation, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and post-hoc analysis. The results of the descriptive analysis shown that perceptions and attitudes of integrated science educators and students towards the use of digital tools in teaching and learning are positive with 142 (87.1%), also, that digital tools and learning platforms such as flipped classroom, interactive whiteboard, projector, virtual(online) classroom, multimedia podium are the commonly available and use for teaching and learning of integrated science courses in tertiary institutions with 99 (60.7%). Pointing out that power failure, poor maintenance culture, inadequate personnel with goo hmm lmkd knowledge on of usage of the digital tools are barriers to its effective utilization with 101 (62%) with the submission that training and retraining of Integrated educators, employment of more personnel that are ICT inclined will enhanced the use of digital tools in teaching and learning of integrated science courses in tertiary institutions 155 (95.1%). The results of the study showed significant effect of the treatment groups and conventional  method on students’ academic performance in BST in junior secondary schools in Ogun State (F= 57.536, p < 0.05, partial ŋ²= 0.420) with flipped classroom instructional strategy has the highest significant effect with mean score (24.860), followed by virtual classroom (22.818) while conventional method had a mean score (20.290), the differences in mean values showed they are statistically significant..