Abstract
This study investigated the impact of a blended learning strategy on secondary school students' interest and cognitive performance in Geography within the Dutsin-Ma Educational Quality Assurance Zone, Katsina State. A quasi-experimental research design using a pre-test, post-test non-equivalent control group approach was adopted. The population consisted of 1,792 Senior Secondary II (SS II) Geography students, from which a sample of 135 students was purposively selected from two schools based on available ICT infrastructure. The experimental group (N=64) was exposed to a Customized Geography E-Learning Platform (CGELP), while the control group (N=71) was taught using the traditional lecture method. Three instruments were used for data collection: the CGELP software, a 50-item Geography Cognitive Performance Test (GCPT), and a Geography Interest Inventory (GII). Data were analyzed using Mean, Standard Deviation, Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), and Independent Samples t-tests at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that students taught using the blended learning strategy achieved significantly higher mean cognitive performance scores (F=379.42, p<.001) and higher interest levels (F=802.62, p<.001) compared to those taught with traditional methods. Furthermore, the study found no significant difference in cognitive performance (p=.264) or interest (p=.989) between male and female students in the experimental group, indicating that the intervention is gender-neutral. The study concludes that blended learning effectively addresses instructional gaps in Geography and recommends the formal integration of localized digital platforms into the secondary school curriculum in Katsina State.