Integration and Effectiveness of Blended Learning in STEAM Education among Senior Secondary Schools in Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria

Abstract: This study investigated the integration and effectiveness of blended learning inScience, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) Education among seniorsecondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nigeria. Blended learning, whichintegrates traditional face-to-face instruction with digital technologies, is increasingly recognizedas a strategy to enhance teaching and learning outcomes. The study examined teachers’ andstudents’ perceptions of blended learning, the extent of technology integration in classrooms byteachers, challenges faced during implementation, and the impact of blended learning onstudents’ engagement and academic performance. A descriptive survey design was adopted, anddata were collected using structured questionnaires on four-point and five-point scalesadministered to a sample of senior secondary school teachers and students in two (2) selectedschools in FCT. The selected schools are in Gwagwalada and Abuja Municipal Area Councils.Three hundred and ninety-five (395) students and 39 teachers were sampled for the study. Thefindings revealed a moderate level of blended learning integration by teachers in their teachingpractices. While both teachers and students agree that blended learning is effective in teachingand learning, challenges such as teacher gender imbalance in favour of female teachers, limitednumber of science-related teachers, limited time to prepare digital content, technical issuesdisrupting blended learning sessions and limited digital devices for students. The studyconcluded that for blended learning to be fully effective in FCT senior secondary schools, theremust be strategic investment in technological infrastructure, continuous professionaldevelopment for teachers, and policy support. Some recommendations, among others, weremade such as the government should address teacher gender imbalance by launching targetedrecruitment drives to attract male STEAM educators and promote gender-neutral hiring policiesto ensure balanced representation; Government should rebalance STEAM subject expertise bysponsoring teacher training programmes in engineering, technology and mathematics;Stakeholders should provide teachers with curated digital repositories to reduce preparationburden on the teachers.