Investigating the Role of a Custom Learning Management System on Basic Science Achievement

This study investigated the effect of a custom-developed Learning Management System (LMS) named Pocket on students’ academic achievement in Basic Science at the Junior Secondary School level in the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka. The Pocket LMS integrates educational videos, HTML-based simulations, interactive textbooks, and offline access, offering an enriched and flexible learning experience. The platform also supports student activity reporting, allowing for data-driven instructional adjustments. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was employed, involving a sample of 76 students selected from a population of 513 using simple random sampling. The intervention group was taught using the Pocket LMS, while the control group received instruction via traditional teaching methods. Data collected were analysed using t-test and ANOVA statistical methods via Microsoft Excel. Findings revealed a statistically significant improvement in academic performance among students who engaged with the LMS compared to those in the traditional learning group. This suggests that the Pocket LMS had a substantial positive impact on student learning outcomes. The study also highlights the LMS’s potential in overcoming some limitations of conventional classroom instruction, especially in enhancing engagement and content accessibility. However, the study acknowledges that for optimal deployment of LMSs in Nigerian educational institutions, substantial investment is required in ICT infrastructure as well as continuous training for teachers and learners. While the Pocket LMS demonstrated effectiveness in the short term, further research is recommended to examine its long-term educational impact, ease of deployment, interface usability, and overall acceptability among both students and teachers. The results underscore the value of technology-enhanced learning environments in secondary education and support the integration of LMS platforms as a viable strategy for improving science instruction in Nigeria and similar contexts.