Enhancing Student Achievement and Engagement through Multimedia-Supported Instruction: A Comparative Study of Cambridge Learners

Abstract

This study explored the comparison of multimedia-supported instruction and traditional lecture-based teaching, in order to improve students’ engagement and academic achievement in science subject. Multimedia instruction refers to combination of words, such as spoken explanations or written text, with visual elements like, images, animations, diagrams and videos. The basic aim for teaching with multimedia is that students tend to and comprehend, remember and understand concepts better when information is presented through both words and visuals rather than words alone. The study was conducted on 164 students form grade six, seven, eight and ten in a private school of Karachi, A quasi-experimental research design was used, where each group was taught two science topics: one through the traditional lecture method and the other through multimedia-supported instruction. To measure learning outcomes, achievement tests were administered after each teaching method, while a questionnaire was used to gather students’ perceptions of the two approaches. Results from paired-sample t-tests indicated significantly higher student scores with multimedia-supported instruction, particularly in Grade 8. ANOVA analysis further showed significant within- and between-group differences. Student questionnaire responses were consistently positive across all grades, reporting that multimedia aids improved understanding, retention, teacher interaction, and engagement. Overall, well-designed multimedia teaching appears more effective than traditional lectures in enhancing learning and fostering an interactive classroom.