Thesis Abstract

There is poor achievement of Secondary school students in shorthand and small number of secondary school students register shorthand in external examinations especially in Onitsha Education Zone of Anambra State. This study, therefore, focused on the effects of DVD content package on secondary school Students’ achievement and interest in Shorthand in Anambra State, Nigeria. The study specifically, aimed at determining the achievement and interest of secondary school male and female students in shorthand. In order to guide the study six research questions were answered and six null hypotheses were tested at .05 level of significance. The study was a quasi–experimental one in which two co-educational secondary schools selected from nine (9) co-educational schools in Onitsha Education Zone were used. The population of the study was five thousand nine hundred and thirty-three (5,933) senior secondary school one (SSS1) students in the area. Two instruments (achievement test in shorthand and shorthand interest inventory) were used as the instruments for data collection. These instruments were validated by six experts. The reliability co-efficient of the Achievement Test stood at .94 and .the reliability of the Shorthand Interest Inventory stood at .95. Mean was used in answering the research questions and the hypotheses were tested at .05 level of probability. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was also used to partial out the initial differences of the research subjects because intact classes were used in the study. The findings of the study were as follows DVD content package had significant effect on secondary school students’ achievement and interest in shorthand. Gender and method had no significant effect on the achievement and interest of secondary school students in shorthand. These findings provided the basis for some related conclusions as follows DVD content package enhanced students’ achievement and interest in shorthand, DVD content package gave equal opportunity to male and female students in achieving well in shorthand, DVD content package is effective in teaching shorthand and in development of interest in shorthand. Based on the findings, some recommendations were made such as shorthand teachers should use DVD content package in teaching and curriculum planners should include use of DVD content package in teaching Shorthand.

Thesis Overview