Effect of Flex Learning Strategy on Business Education Students’ Academic Achievement and Knowledge Retention in Principles Management in Colleges of Education in North East, Nigeria

Abstract

 The study determined the effect of flex learning strategy on students’ academic
achievement and knowledge retention in Principles of Management in Colleges of
Education in North-East, Nigeria. The study was guided by two research questions and
two hypotheses. The study adopted quasi experimental design with non-equivalent
control group of intact classes. The researcher used an intact class of 69 (300 level
students) made up of 27 male students and 42 females from the selected colleges of
education in the North-East Nigeria. The instrument used for data collection was
Principles of Management achievement test and Principle of Management Knowledge
Retention Test, PMKRT. Kuder – Richardson (K – R 20) was used to determine the
internal consistency of the PMAT items. After two weeks of administering PMAT, the
same test was reshuffled and used as PMKRT. The statistical result of the calculated
KR20 is .8199. For the knowledge retention, the Pearson Product Moment Correlation
Coefficient was 0.9. Data generated from the pre-test, post-test and retention test were
analyzed using mean and standard deviation. ANCOVA Analysis of Covariance was
used to answer research hypothesis. The findings of the study revealed higher mean
achievement and retention among N.C.E III Business Education students taught
Principles of Management using flex learning strategy compared to the performance of
students taught Principles of Management using lecture method. The flex strategy was
found to have positive implications in improving practice for NUC and Business
education management staff. It was recommended that the schools should adopt both
flex learning strategy in the teaching and learning activities to facilitate academic
achievement and retention of their students