Short-Form Video Interventions: Evaluating Student Engagement, Achievement, and Attitude towards Science Within Secondary Schools of Jalingo Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

Traditional teaching methods dominate science classrooms in Jalingo Metropolis, Taraba State, Nigeria, failing to engage digital-native learners. This study investigated the effectiveness of short-form video (SFV) instructional techniques on secondary school students’ science comprehension. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was utilized, sampling 240 Secondary School Two science students across six public secondary schools taught difficult biology concepts (cell biology and genetics). Data were collected using three validated instruments: the Science Concept Achievement Test (KR-20 = .81), the Short-Form Video Engagement Scale (α = .84), and the Students' Attitude towards Science through Video Questionnaire (α = .79). Descriptive statistics and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) tested the hypotheses at p < .05. Results revealed that students taught with SFV obtained significantly higher posttest achievement scores than the control group, F(1, 237) = 61.52, p = .000. SFV students also reported higher engagement and more favorable attitudes toward science. Gender did not significantly interact with achievement and cognitive-behavioural engagement, but significantly interacted with attitudes toward science, favoring male students. Despite benefits, main SFV-mediated science engagement inhibitors included unstable internet access (83%), expensive mobile data (76%), lack of Nigerian context-based content (68%), and platform distraction (61%). The study concludes that SFV with appropriate pedagogical frameworks can serve as an effective supplementary science teaching tool in semi-urban Northern Nigerian classrooms, provided that critical infrastructure and content quality challenges are resolved.