The Influence of Activity-Based Learning Strategies on Academic Performance among Undergraduate Students in Nigerian Universities

This paper examined how activity-based learning (ABL) strategies have impacted academic performance of the undergraduate students of the Nigerian universities, and the methodology is a quantitative survey. The theoretical framework used is social constructivism; based on this theory, the study conducted an analysis on the main three dimensions of ABL, including student participation and cognitive engagement, collaborative and social learning, and acquisition and application of skills. A total of 193 final-year students in the Faculty of Technology Education at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University at Bauchi were used to gather the data, which were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression. The results indicated that there were strong, positive and significant relationships between every dimension of ABL and academic performance. All the three null hypotheses were turned down, which validated that strategies ofearning activities were very effective in promoting academic performances as opposed to the traditional methods of lectures. Although some of the contextual issues requiring attention in the case of the adoption of ABL in the Nigerian university setting included lack of proper infrastructure and lack of pedagogical innovation in the institution, the findings indicated that ABL enhanced a deeper level of understanding, critical thinking, development of soft skills and enhancement of employability prospects. The research recommended that more interactive, collaborative and practical activities should be incorporated in teaching and assessment activities in universities to generate competent graduates who are capable of meeting the demands of the 21st century.