Abstract

EFFECTS OF MATHEMATICAL GAMES ON THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MATHEMATICS IN ABUJA, NIGERIA

AKANDE, M.T

---

ABSTRACT The consistent poor achievement of students in mathematics at various levels of examinations particularly in West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) and National Examination Council (NECO) is becoming more disturbing to every member of the public and calls for serious concerns and improvement. The study investigated the effects of mathematical games on the academic achievement of senior secondary school students in mathematics in Abaji Council Area of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The study adopted quasi-experimental design of pretest-posttest control group. The sample size of one hundred and twenty-three (123) senior secondary one (SS1) students made up of sixty-nine (69) males and fifty-four (54) females, drawn from two selected secondary schools out of five senior secondary schools was used for this study. Tossing of a coin was used to randomly assign intact classes to experimental and control groups. A Pre-AAT was administered before the treatment to establish the students? level of achievement. The students in the control and experimental groups obtained mean scores of 41.38 and 41.47 respectively. Data were generated using Algebraic Achievement Test (AAT). The instrument was subjected to three experts? judgment for validation. A logical validity index of 0.85 was obtained. The reliability coefficient of 0.84 was obtained for AAT. The generated data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to answer the research questions and t-test inferential statistics was used to test the null hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that the students taught with the use of game had a greater mean score of 61.12 than their counterpart taught without the use of game with a mean score of 45.38. Also, the results of hypotheses testing revealed that there was a significant difference between the students taught with mathematical game and their counterparts taught without the use of mathematical game since t-cal =5.28>t-crit=1.96. Female students had higher mean score of 76.25 than the male students with mean score of 58.53. Thus, the hypothesis showed that gender had significant influence on students? achievement since t-cal =3.57 >t-crit=2.01. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that teachers should use games to introduce new concepts in engaging students in the teaching and learning of mathematics in the classrooms.

PDF