Low-Cost ICT Instructional Package for Teaching Electricity Concepts in Physics

Abstract

Electricity is one of the most abstract and misconception-prone topics in secondary school physics. Students cannot see current, potential difference or energy transfer in a circuit, and many hold persistent misconceptions, such as believing that current is used up by a bulb or that a battery supplies a fixed current. In Nigerian secondary schools, these difficulties are compounded by poorly equipped laboratories, large classes and limited access to expensive educational technology. This paper reports the design and development of a low-cost ICT instructional package for teaching electricity concepts in senior secondary physics. Guided by the ADDIE instructional design model and grounded in constructivist learning theory, Mayer's cognitive theory of multimedia learning and the TPACK framework, the package combines free offline interactive simulations, smartphone-based measurement applications, short teacher-made video demonstrations, a basic projector or shared screen, low-cost physical circuit kits and messaging-application support. It is organised into six lesson units covering electric charge and current, potential difference and electromotive force, Ohm's law and resistance, series and parallel circuits, electrical energy and power, and household electricity and safety. Each unit follows a predict-observe-explain (POE) sequence that targets documented misconceptions. The package is designed to run on equipment many schools or teachers already own, to function without continuous internet access, and to complement rather than replace hands-on practical work. The paper outlines implementation guidelines and a plan for evaluating the package's effect on students' conceptual understanding, and recommends teacher training and wider trials.