Technology-enhanced Learning: Evaluating Interactive Whiteboards in Developmental Psychology Instruction

Abstract

Students’ achievement and attitude toward Developmental Psychology often remain low due to the abstract nature of the course and reliance on traditional lecture methods, which limit engagement, interaction, and retention of psychological concepts. This study investigated the effect of interactive whiteboard (IWB) integration on students’ achievement and attitude in Developmental Psychology II at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri. Guided by four research questions and four hypotheses tested at a 0.05 significance level, the study adopted a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design. The population comprised 45 third- year students, and purposive sampling was used to assign 29 students to the experimental group and 16 to the control group. Data were collected using the Developmental Psychology Achievement Test (DPAT) and the Students’ Learning Attitudinal Scale (SLAS), which were validated by experts and yielded reliability coefficients of 0.81 and 0.77, respectively. The experimental group received IWB-based instruction for five weeks, while the control group was taught using conventional lecture methods. The findings revealed that students taught with the interactive whiteboard achieved higher academic achievement and demonstrated improved attitudes toward Developmental Psychology, with female students showing slightly greater gains than their male counterparts. The findings demonstrate that IWB integration enhances students’ understanding, engagement, and academic performance while fostering positive attitudes. The study recommends adopting IWBs in teaching, providing lecturer training, and designing interactive lessons to support inclusive and effective learning. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that interactive whiteboard integration significantly enhances students’ achievement and attitude in Developmental Psychology.