Comparative impact of Whatsapp chatbot technology and Glaser's teaching approaches on the academic performance of education economics students in tertiary institutions in Nigeria

In contemporary society, information and communication technology permeates every aspect of human life, including education. This study investigates the impact of WhatsApp chatbot technology and Glaser's teaching approaches on the academic performance of economics education students in tertiary institutions. Grounded in activity theory, the study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test/post-test control group. Initially, the study sampled 324 final-year education economics students, selecting a subset of eighty-three participants for the study. The Performance Economics Ability Test (PEAT) served as the study’s data collection tool, validated through rigorous content, construct, and criterion-related validity analyses, with a reliability coefficient of 0.75. Statistical analyses, such as mean comparisons and standard deviations, were conducted to address the research question. Findings reveal a significant variance in the mean performance scores of students exposed to WhatsApp chatbots compared to those instructed through Glaser's pedagogical approach, highlighting the potential of ICT-enhanced learning environments in tertiary institutions. Therefore, the study recommends the seamless integration of WhatsApp chatbot technology into the pedagogical landscape of economics education, with implications for policy-making and instructional practices. However, the study acknowledges the limitations inherent in the study design and suggests avenues for future research to address these limitations and further clarify the dynamics of ICT-mediated learning environments. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024.