[Paper Review] Evaluating the Effect of Activity Based Method of Teaching Mathematics on Nigerian Secondary School Students Achievement in Mathematics

Chinelo Blessing Oribhabor|arXiv (Cornell University)|Nov 21, 2020

Educational Assessment and Pedagogy18 references4 citations

TL;DR

This study evaluates the impact of activity-based teaching methods on mathematics achievement among Nigerian secondary school students using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design. Results show a significant improvement in posttest scores for students taught via activity-based methods compared to traditional lecture methods, even after controlling for pretest performance.

ABSTRACT

Mathematics is a compulsory subject in Nigerian secondary schools, and the subject plays an important role in the scientific and technological growth and development of the nation. A shortfall in the knowledge of the students in Mathematics means that the goal may not be realized, hence the need to improve teaching methods for solving the problem of poor performance in the subject. This study evaluated the effect of the activity-based teaching method on the students' achievement in secondary school Mathematics. The design of the study was a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest research design using intact classes. Finding revealed that there was a significant difference in the Mathematics performance between the posttest mean scores of the students who were exposed to activity-based teaching methods (experimental) and those that were taught with lecture method (control) groups after controlling for the effect of the pre-test on Mathematics scores. The paper recommends among others that secondary school Mathematics teachers should be trained and retrained to update their knowledge in the use of activity-based teaching for making the teaching and learning of Mathematics more interesting and rewarding.

Motivation & Objective

• To investigate the effect of activity-based teaching methods on student achievement in secondary school mathematics in Nigeria.
• To address the persistent low performance in mathematics among Nigerian secondary school students.
• To compare the effectiveness of activity-based instruction versus traditional lecture-based teaching methods.
• To provide evidence-based recommendations for improving mathematics education through innovative pedagogical approaches.
• To support teacher training initiatives focused on active learning strategies in mathematics instruction.

Proposed method

• A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was employed using intact classes.
• The experimental group was taught mathematics using activity-based methods, such as hands-on tasks, group work, and real-life problem solving.
• The control group was taught using conventional lecture and textbook-based instruction.
• Pretest scores were used as a covariate to control for initial differences in student ability.
• Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was applied to compare posttest achievement scores between groups.
• Data were collected from secondary school students in Nigeria and analyzed to assess the impact of teaching method on learning outcomes.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Does the use of activity-based teaching methods significantly improve student achievement in secondary school mathematics in Nigeria?
• RQ2 How do posttest mathematics scores of students taught with activity-based methods compare to those taught with lecture methods?
• RQ3 To what extent does pretest performance influence posttest achievement when using activity-based instruction?
• RQ4 Is there a statistically significant difference in mathematics achievement between students exposed to activity-based teaching and those taught via traditional methods?
• RQ5 What implications do these findings have for teacher training and mathematics curriculum reform in Nigerian secondary schools?

Key findings

• There was a statistically significant difference in posttest mathematics achievement scores between students taught with activity-based methods and those taught with lecture methods.
• After controlling for pretest scores, the experimental group (activity-based) showed higher posttest mean scores than the control group (lecture method).
• The effect of the activity-based method on achievement was significant even when initial ability levels were accounted for.
• Students in the activity-based group demonstrated greater engagement and improved conceptual understanding of mathematical concepts.
• The results support the effectiveness of active learning strategies in enhancing mathematics performance in Nigerian secondary schools.
• The study confirms that activity-based teaching can be a viable alternative to traditional lecture-based instruction in improving student outcomes.