Effects of Problem Solving Instructional Method on Attitude and Performance in Algebra Among Senior Secondary School Students in Kaduna State Nigeria

Effects of Problem Solving Instructional Method on Attitude and Performance in Algebra Among Senior Secondary School Students in Kaduna State Nigeria

Chapter One

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study was to investigate effects of problem solving strategy on attitude and performance in algebra among senior secondary school students in Kaduna State Nigeria, the other specific objectives are to:-

Establish the attitude of student taught Algebra with problem solving strategy (EG) and those taught with conventional method(CG).
Find out the difference between performance of student taught Algebra with problem solving strategy (EG) and those taught with conventional method(CG).
Investigate the attitude of Male and Female students taught Algebra with problem solving strategy(EG).
Find out difference in performance of male and female students taught Algebra with problem solving strategy(EG),
Find out if students from Urban and Rural areas taught Algebra with problem solving strategy (EG) differs in

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Problem Solving Instructional Method on Attitude and performance in Algebra among Secondary School Students in Kaduna State. The chapter reviewed literature related to the study on attitude towards learning and performance in Algebra at senior secondary school. Literature reviewed was cited both from within Nigeria and from studies done outside Nigeria. The review for better understanding was organized under the following subheadings:

Theoretical Frame Work.

Ojoko (2001) defines teaching as the art and science of directing the learning process. According to him, teaching is often viewed narrowly as a process of imparting knowledge and skills in developing attitudes, it is also entails managing instructional facilities and equipment providing and organizing learning materials and resources and meeting students‟ needs. However, Gbamanja (2001) states certain principles of teaching to include:

Planned teaching results in more teaching
Students tend to achieve in ways they are tested
Students learn more effectively if they know the objectives and are shown how to gain the ends.
The teachers function in the learning process is that of guidance to reach an objective and that pupils learn from one

He pointed out that the problem of simulating students to be thrilled with learning and gaining the zest for Education that will continue for life is an elaborate task. Furthermore, he pointed out that the teaching profession is concerned fundamentally with the attainment of maximum beneficial learning for the individual. It is the teachers‟ task to ensure that learning is efficient and effective in order for students‟ to discover their human potential. Invariably, methods of teaching are derived from four modes of teaching as postulated by Gbamanja (2001). These four mode of teaching are didactic model, heuristic mode, philetic mode and the guristic mode. He further explained that the didactic is the telling mode of teaching. Activities of this mode include: lectures, assignments, recitations and examinations. The content of this mode of teaching is traditional subject matter.

The heuristic mode involves the inquiry and discovery methods. Here, the teacher act as an arranger, organizing inquiry/discovery activities to facilitate meaningful learning. Activities of this mode include organizing learners, giving criteria, holding conferences and checking progress of students. However, the philechic mode of teaching is the affective style and it involves the arousal of student‟s feeling or opinions. A philetic teacher is a friend, counselor and a „parent‟. The teachers who operate in this mode create moods and a performer of things for the enjoyment of students. All these activities are focused on the ego of the learner.

The guristic mode of instruction involves the teacher explaining his experiences or feelings. There is no motive to teach, no desire to impact any of the above three modes. From the teachers‟ information about his own view of life, students pick out what their lines of interest are. The guristic teacher is a good interpreter of the future. He sees the future and imagines for the learner. His major activity involves reflective thinking.

However, various methods of teaching include lecture method, discussion method, demonstration method, project method, filed drips, discovery inquiry method, laboratory methods, the process approach, individualized learning methods, and questioning methods. These methods of teaching are embedded in the mode of teaching enumerated above. While method is a way of doing something or an approach adopted by a teacher to explain a subject matter to a group of students or learners; methodology means the study and practices of various methods of teaching and it involves all the things a teacher would do to enhance teaching and learning. There include different teaching methods, clear statements of instructional objectives; learning resources, presentation, skills, writing and following a good less plan.

Ojoko (2001) identifies several methods that science teachers could use in presenting scientific information, principles and skills to the learners. These include discovery or inquiry method, fieldtrip, discussion method, demonstration method and the laboratory method. He opined that success of these methods of teaching depends largely on two factors. The use of teaching aids by the teacher and the use of motivation by the teacher.

In his contribution to the approach of teaching mathematics, Salau (2002) posited that the very nature of mathematics is abstract and extra effort is required to bring students to understand its underlying concepts, principles and applications. Specifically, many principles and concepts in mathematics are not easily explained with common sense deduction. This obviously adds to the difficulty students encounter in the comprehension of mathematics generally, notably, examples of these concepts are symmetry, place value, addition, subtraction, number system, Algebra, Geometry, probability as well as longitude and latitude to mention but a few. The abstractness of these concepts requires so much recourse to using concrete instructional aids.

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

This study was designed to investigate the effect of problem-solving instructional method on attitude and performance in Algebra among senior secondary school students in Kaduna State, Nigeria. In this chapter the researcher explained the methodology used in carrying out the investigation. The chapter is presented in the following sub-headings:-

RESEARCH DESIGN

This study adopted the quasi experimental design, involving pre and post tests as suggested by Kerlinger, (1973). The design was adopted because it was not possible to have a complete randomization of the subjects as this will disrupt school organization. In this design, the researcher used experimental and control group to determine the effect of problem solving strategy on attitude and performance in Algebra among senior secondary school students in Kaduna state, Nigeria. This design is appropriate because according to Osuala (2005), experimental design helps to derive, verified functional relationship among phenomena under controlled condition. The instructional strategy is at two levels. (Experimental and control groups), the experimental group received Algebra lesson instruction through problem solving method. While the control group, were taught the same lesson using conventional teaching method. The research design is illustrated in figure 3.1 below

E O₁ X₁ O₂ O₃

C O₁ X₂ O₂ O₃

Fig 3.1: Illustration of research design The symbols are denoted as follows

E = Experimental Group (PSM group) C = Control group

X₁ = Treatment Using PSM X₂ = Treatment Using CTM O₁ = Pretest

O₂ = Post Test.

O₃ = Algebraic Retention Test (ART)

POPULATION OF THE STUDY

The population of this study consists of senior secondary school students of public schools within the study area. Private schools and unity school (Federal Government Schools) within the study area are not part of the study. The population of the study involves both mathematics students in urban and rural area. According to the population of students of public school with the study area at the time of this study was two thousand four hundred (2,400). All the schools used are government owned schools, with a mean age of 16 years old students, with same curriculum, syllabus, time-table and calendar for study.

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS: PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSIONS OF RESULTS.

Introduction:

This study was primarily aimed at assessing the effect of problem solving method in the academic performance of algebra of mathematics students and to establish the effect of attitude on their performance. A total of 238 students consisting of experimental and control students were used. Items on attitude were analyzed using the descriptive statistics of frequency and means. The first section presents the distribution of respondents by their demographic variables in frequencies and percentages. These include their treatment groups of gender and the school locations. A total of five research questions were answered using the descriptive statistics of means, standard deviations and standard errors of means. The third section tested five research null hypotheses using the inferential statistics of t-test statistics, all the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 alpha level of significance.

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

INTRODUCTION

This study was set to investigate the effect of problem solving instructional strategy on attitude and performance in algebra among secondary school students of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The final chapter of this research work was dedicated to the following subheadings:

Summary

This study assessed the effect of problem solving instructional method on attitude and academic performance of students in algebra among secondary school students of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The results of the data analyzed revealed that:

Problem solving instructional method had an influence on students‟ attitude in
Problem solving instructional method had a significant effect on students‟ performance in

Male and female students do not differed significantly in their attitude scores when exposed to treatment of problem-solving

The performance of male and female students did not differ significantly when exposed to the treatment of Problem-Solving
The higher the students level of attitude the higher their performance in Algebra and vice-verse.

Conclusion

Based on the result of the hypothesis, the following conclusions can be deduced:

Problem solving instructional on method has a positive effect on the academic performance scores on algebraic concept of mathematics. Students and teachers from rural areas should be encouraged and motivated more by exposing them to more problems solving strategy as students performance in algebra was affected by school location.

However, gender was not found to be a factor as problem solving instructional method in this study carried both sexes along. The poor performance of Nigerian students in mathematics examinations portrayed danger for a country in quest of technological advancement. Hence, all hands must be on deck to make the acquisition of mathematics knowledge possible for all students for the benefit of all. The finding of this research work has further established the fact that acceptable methods of instruction are capable of changing students‟ performance and attitude towards algebra.

Recommendations

Based on the outcome of this study, the following recommendations are hereby put forward.

Mathematics teachers should be given all needed encouragement and motivation to use the problem solving method in place of the conventional lecture method for better academic
Teachers who have mastery of algebra should be used in the teaching of
Students‟ attitude towards the learning of algebra can be improved by usingteachers who are well qualified in the mathematics as a subject in
Teachers should develop cordial, friendly and caring relationship with their students in order to improve the teaching and learning process in
Positive attitude towards learning and performing well in algebra are necessary ingredients in senior secondary school Mathematics education. There is need for teachers, parents and any other education stakeholder to enhance these positive attitudes.
Efforts should be made to ensure does not hinder learning and/or performance in algebra among students. Teachers, parents and siblings of the students should encourage both the female and male learners to equally embrace mathematics generally.
The un favourable attitude should be curtailed professionally and early enough before students utterly give up in learning and/or performance of
The recommendations of algebraic textbooks for use in schools should be taken very seriously and should be based on nothing other than the text satisfying the features of agood algebraic textbook that will secure students‟ interest in learning
Problem solving instructional strategy should be used in teaching algebra at both primary and secondary levels of
Efforts made at carrying out researches should not be allowed to waste Research result should be made to reach the implementation of the findings to be able to achieve the desired results.

Authors of algebraic textbooks should include the instructional strategy at which each topic should be taught in their
Mathematics teachers should take turns in attending workshops and seminars and each person on return should expose others in the school to the knowledge they acquired during the

Suggestions for further studies.

The study is by no means exhaustive. Further studies can be carried out especially on:

Similar study on effect of problem solving instructional method on students‟ interest and performance in geometry and other aspects of mathematics could be carried
This study could be replicated in other parts of
The study was restricted to government owned schools; it could be also be extended to private and organizational owned.

References

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Adebule,S.O (2004) Gender Difference on Locally Standardized Anxiety Rating scale in Mathematics for Nigeria secondary schools. Unpublished Theses of the University of Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria.
Aina, R. I. (1982). Some Aspects of Cognitive Development and the Learning of Science Concepts: a Conceptual framework for diagnosis and Strategy. African Journal of Education research 3(2), 16 – 19.
Beaton, A. E., Mullies, V. S., Martin, O., Gonzale, E. J., Kelly, D. L. & Smith, T. A. (1996). Mathematics Achievement in the Middle School Years: Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Chestnut Hill, M. A: Boston College.
Bednar, A., & Levie, W. H. (1993). “Attitude Change Principles”. In Instructional Message Design: Principles from the Behavioural and Cognitive Science by Englewood Cliffs, N. J. Educational technology Publications. 2(1), 283 – 304.
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