Development of an Instructional Model based on Mobile-Blended and Inquiry-based Learning to Enhance Critical Thinking Abilities for Business Education Undergraduate Students in Nigeria

Abstract

An instructional model based on mobile-blended and inquiry-based learning to enhance critical thinking abilities for business education undergraduate students is considered as an innovation in teaching and learning processes. This study adopted research and development (R&D) design method. the research objectives were (a) to identify the factors, components, and processes that are associated with inquiry-based mobile-blended learning, to enhance critical thinking abilities; (b) to develop an instructional model based on mobile-blended and inquiry-based learning to enhance critical thinking skills for Business Education undergraduate students in Nigeria and; (c) to propose the instructional model to an institution of higher education that offers business education at the undergraduate level for implementation in Nigeria. The methodology of the research was divided into four phases as follows (1) to investigate the factors, components, and processes associated with the development of students’ critical thinking abilities, with mobile-blended and inquiry-based learning approach; (2) to construct an instructional model based on mobile-blended and inquiry-based learning to enhance critical thinking abilities for business education undergraduate students; (3) to validate and tryout the instructional model and; (4) to propose the instructional model to an institution of higher education in Nigeria.

In phase 1, a sample of 120 business educators was used and the instrument was a questionnaire; in phase 2, the results of the analysis in phase 1 provided the materials for the construction of the instructional model. A sample of 11 experts was used for the validation while a sample of 70, that consisted of 3 business educators and their 67 students, were employed in phase 3 with a questionnaire for each of the groups as the instruments. In phase 4, a sample of 96, which consisted of 3 business education teachers and their 93 students, was used with the aid of a questionnaire as an instrument for both categories.

The findings of the study revealed that the instructional model has four factors as follows: (1) participation of teachers in the process of deciding on the innovation with a P-value of 0.012; (2) mobile-blended learning competency with a P-value of 0.006; (3) mobile instructional content with a P-value of <0.001; and (4) mobile-blended learning orientation with a P-value of 0.013. The findings also show that the instructional model has seven components, processes with five steps, as stated below (a) engagement; (b) exploration; (c) explanation; (d) elaboration and; (e) evaluation, with sixteen teacher’s activities and fifteen students’ activities. The experts for the validation were satisfied with the factors, components, processes, and steps, as well as, the teachers’ and students’ activities with an overall mean of 4.68 SD 0.47. Regarding the practicability and effectiveness of the instructional model, the satisfaction level of the Nigerian business educators used in the tryout was very high with a mean of 4.57 SD 0.48, and their students (4.58 SD 0.53). Results from the analysis of both the validation and the tryout of the instructional model based on mobile-blended and inquiry-based learning to enhance critical thinking abilities for business education undergraduate students show that it was practicable and effective.

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