Impact of Artificial Intelligence Applications and Traditional Lecture Method on the Learning Outcomes of Nce Ii Economics Education Students of Colleges of Education in North Central Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the efficacy of artificial intelligence (AI) applications on the learning outcomes of Economics Education students at the FCT College of Education, Abuja, using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The population comprised 420 Economics Education students of the FCT College of Education, Abuja. A sample of 120 students, comprising 62 males and 58 females, was drawn through stratified random sampling from four intact classes, with two classes assigned to the experimental group and two to the control group. Data were collected using the Economics Education Achievement Test (EEAT), a 50-item structured multiple-choice instrument, which yielded a Kuder-Richardson reliability coefficient of 0.87. The experimental group received instruction supported by artificial intelligence applications designed to enhance conceptual understanding, problem-solving ability, and academic engagement, while the control group received conventional instruction over the same period. Mean, standard deviation, and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) were used to answer the research questions and test the hypotheses respectively at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that students exposed to AI-supported instruction recorded significantly higher post-test learning outcomes in conceptual understanding, problem-solving ability, and academic engagement than students taught using the conventional method. The study concludes that the integration of artificial intelligence applications is an effective instructional strategy for improving the learning outcomes of Economics Education students in Colleges of Education. It is recommended that college administrators and curriculum planners should institutionalize AI-supported instructional practices in Economics Education programmes, that the Federal Ministry of Education should invest in digital infrastructure to support AI-enabled teaching and learning in Colleges of Education, and that Economics Education lecturers should receive sustained professional development on the effective pedagogical integration of artificial intelligence applications.