Assessment of the Effect of Audio-Visual Aids on Learning Outcomes in Science Classes in Secondary Schools in Rivers State

Audio-visual instructional aids have demonstrated effectiveness in improving comprehension and retention of abstract scientific concepts, and their deployment in South South Nigerian secondary schools merits evaluation for guiding resource allocation decisions. This study assessed the effect of audio-visual aids on the learning outcomes of SS1 Biology students in selected secondary schools in Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor Local Government Areas, Rivers State, South South Nigeria. A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design was adopted. Eighty students were randomly assigned to an experimental group receiving instruction with audio-visual materials (video clips and animated diagrams) and a control group receiving chalk-and-board instruction only. Both groups were taught Cell Biology for four weeks. Pre- and post-tests of learning outcomes were administered and analysed using independent samples t-test. The experimental group showed a significantly higher mean post-test score (74.6) than the control group (61.3), with a mean difference of 13.3 points (p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.21). Retention scores at 3-week follow-up showed a smaller but still significant advantage for the experimental group (p < 0.05). Female students in the experimental group showed the largest improvement relative to their pre-test baseline. The study concludes that audio-visual aids significantly enhance Biology learning outcomes in Rivers State secondary schools. Recommendations include procurement of multimedia science teaching kits, teacher training in media-enriched science instruction, and school-level technology maintenance programmes to sustain equipment functionality. Keywords: audio-visual aids, science learning, secondary school, Rivers State, instructional media