Interaction Effect of Pattern Drafting Methods on Achievement, Interest and Knowledge Retention of Home Economics Students of Federal Universities in South East, Nigeria

The study investigated interaction effect of two pattern drafting methods {(Flat and Computer-aided design (CAD)} on achievement, interest and knowledge retention of Home Economics students in two Federal Universities in South East, Nigeria. Specifically, the study determined: achievement scores of Home Economics Education (HomeEc Ed) students taught by two methods; interest of HomeEc Ed students taught by two methods and knowledge retention of HomeEc Ed students taught by two methods. Three null hypotheses (HOs) were tested at 0.05 level of significance. A quasi-experimental design was used. Population was made up of Home Economics undergraduates from two Federal Universities in Southeast Nigeria. Instruments used were the Pattern Drafting Achievement Test (PADAT), Interest Scale (PADIS), and Retention Test (PADRET). Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and ANCOVA at a 0.05 significance level. Findings show CAD improved students’ achievement (p=0.52), interest (p=0.64), and retention (p=0.16) more than Flat method. There was no significant interaction between age and instructional methods. The CAD significantly enhanced learning outcomes across age groups CAD consistently enhanced outcomes across groups. It was concluded that CAD is broadly effective in pattern drafting instruction. Five recommendations were made.