The Effect of Digital Teaching on Learning Gains: Evidence from a Quasi-Experimental Study at a private School in Abu Dhabi, UAE

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of using iPad on ICT learning gains and explored students’ perception of iPad usage in the ICT teaching-learning process. The study employed a quasi-experimental method using pre-test and post-test design. The study sample (N= 84) were 10th grade students in a private school in Abu Dhabi. They were divided into a control group (n=42) who was taught traditionally via the didactic approach, and an experimental group (n=42) who was taught via iPad classroom model. SPSS was used to analyse the data collected from the ICT achievement-tests. The results showed that participants in both groups obtained similar mean scores in the pre-test at the beginning of the experiment. Meanwhile the results showed significant difference in the ICT achievement posttest between the experimental group and the control group with mean scores of 61.67 and 57.86 respectively. The attained “t” value of both groups’ post-test score comparison was found to be significant at p=0.011 (< 0.05). Moreover, the effect size of the intervention was practically important, at Cohen’s d = 0.56. Likert Scale Questionnaire was also conducted to see if participants had enjoyed the intervention experience. The findings of the study proved that using iPad in learning ICT has a definite positive effect on the learning gains of 10th grade students compared to the conventional method. The findings revealed that students have positive perceptions of using iPad in the classroom.