6: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TEXT, AUDIO, AND LIVE PERFORMANCE IN MEASURING COGNITIVE RETENTION AND RECALL IN THEATRE IN EDUCATION AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ZARIA

This study evaluates the performance metrics of three experimental student cohorts to determine the impact of distinct theatrical pedagogical modalities on cognitive retention and recall. Conducted at Great Infinity Schools in Zaria, Nigeria, the empirical field experiment exposed three homogenous groups (N = 26 per group; total N = 78) to an identical dramatic narrative presented through three media variants: a play text (text condition), a radio drama (audio condition), and a live classroom staging (performance condition). The investigation was theoretically underpinned by Dual Coding Theory, Cognitive Load Theory, and the Modality Effect. Data were collected via standardized multi-choice retention instruments administered at two strategic temporal intervals: immediate recall (Day 3 post-exposure) and long-term retention (Week 2 post-exposure), and analysed using descriptive statistics and independent one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA). The empirical findings indicate that the performance cohort achieved significantly higher cognitive recall scores (M = 12.35, SD = 1.87) on Day 3 compared to the audio (M = 10.50, SD = 2.19) and text (M = 10.65, SD = 2.21) groups. Crucially, longitudinal assessments at Week 2 demonstrated an incremental consolidation effect in the performance cohort (M = 13.00, SD = 2.54), contrasted with severe memory decay in the text-based group (M = 9.46, SD = 2.87). The independent ANOVAs confirmed that the mode of content exposure exerted a highly significant statistical effect on cognitive performance at both Day 3 [F (2, 75) = 6.64, p = .002] and Week 2 [F (2, 75) = 11.23, p < .001]. These results challenge single-medium instruction models, confirming that multi-modal, embodied pedagogies mitigate cognitive decay. It is recommended that educational stakeholders systematically integrate drama and role-play structures into secondary core curricula to optimize long-term knowledge retention.