Abstract

COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF 4-ORDERING QUADRATIC EQUATION SOLUTION METHODS ON SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS? RETENTION IN QUADRATIC EQUATION

Emeji, Eucharia Ifeoma, Ogbu, Sunday and Izuegbunam, Maria-Goretti Ifeyinwa

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The study investigated the effects of Ordering Quadratic Solution Methods (OQSM) on senior secondary school students? retention in quadratic equation. The design of this study was non-equivalent quasi-experimental research. The sample size of the study was two hundred and seventy senior secondary school two students who was drawn from two secondary schools in Enugu urban of Enugu State. The study was guided by two research questions and three hypotheses. Mathematics Retention Test (MRT) was the instrument that was used for data collection, which was subjected to face validation by experts and found to have a reliability index of 0.87. Mean and standard deviation were used in answering research questions. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used in testing the hypotheses at 0.05 alpha levels, and Sheffe (Post Hoc) Test was used to ascertain the location of significant difference. Results from the study indicated that there was a significant difference between the 4-methods in methodical ordering with regards to retention. Sheffe test also showed that the best order was the Formula-Completing Square-Factorization-Graph (FOCOFGRA)) method. Gender had no significant influence on the students? retention on quadratic equations. The study recommended that the proper ordering solution method be adopted by teachers for teaching mathematics in secondary schools and also, curriculum planners should review and reordering of the current mathematics curriculum to be in proper order. Keynotes: Ordering Quadratic, mathematics, Retention, Quadratic Equations.

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