CHATBOT-BASED TUTORING AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF BIOLOGY STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

The utilization of the Chatbot AI has been observed to have a positive impact on academic performance of students by enhancing learning motivation. The study assessed the difference in academic performance of senior secondary school biology students exposed to Chatbot AI and those exposed to the expository method, using gender as a moderating variable. The study adopted the pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental design and was conducted in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The population consisted of 40,840 Senior Secondary School two students offering Biology in 235 schools. A total of 384 students (166 males and 218 females) were divided into control and treatment groups. A Biology Achievement Test (BAT) was developed and validated for content and face validity. Reliability was established using the Kuder-Richardson formula 21. Findings revealed that Chatbot AI significantly improved students’ performance (72,85) compared to traditional methods (54.77), with equal high outcomes for both genders. The study concluded that Chatbot AI enhances engagement, provides immediate feedback, and fosters critical thinking, advocating for its integration into Akwa Ibom's educational curriculum to improve students’ learning and retention.