ABSTRACT

The performances of students in mathematics, especially in external examinations like West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE/SSCE) and National Examination Council (NECO) have continued to deteriorate year by year. The conventional method used in teaching in our schools seems not to yield any positive results, and how to solve the problem has becomes a source of worry to mathematics educators.

The nature of mathematics demands that it should be taught using activity based approach. If teaching methods which are activity based as suggested by psychologists like J. Bruner, J Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are used, then better results will be achieved. Therefore this study was designed to investigate the efficacy of the use of slide game approach on students’ achievements and interest in algebraic concept in mathematics.

Four research questions and six hypotheses guided the study. The design used for the study was the quasi-experimental design, specially the non- equivalent pre-test and post-test control group design. One hundred and sixty junior secondary two students were selected from purposively sampled schools in Udenu education zone. Two intact classes were randomly drawn from each of the two schools. Two instruments namely Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) that was developed by the researcher and Mathematics Interest Scale (MIS) adapted from Baggaley(1974) was used for the data collection.

Three experts carried out the face and content validation of the instrument and the reliability established was 0.78. Mean and standard deviation (SD) were used to answer the research questions while the Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses at P<0 .05.="" span="">

The study revealed that the use of slide game approach enhanced the achievement and interest of male and female students. The study indicated that there is no interaction effect between game approach and gender on student’s achievement and interest in algebra. However the result also indicated that the used of slide game benefit both male and female students.

It was recommended that mathematics teachers should adopt the use of slide game in teaching algebra to increase achievements of students.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Mathematics remains very important to most disciplines and field of human endeavor. It has continued to play significant roles in nations. Hence, for any nation to survive and develop it has to improve on its teaching and learning of mathematics in schools which is the basis for technological development .This explains why mathematics is one of the core subjects for every students at the secondary school, Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN 2004).This policy also makes mathematics an important subject in the 6-3-3-4 structure, that every child must study it for six years in primary schools, three years in junior secondary school and three years in senior secondary school as a compulsory subject.

Ayorinde (2007) stressed that mathematics is important because it is very much needed for the pursuit of higher education in science, technology, social science, education and in some art courses. As a condition for admission into tertiary institution, a candidate seeking admission to study any science or related course is required to have a credit pass in West African School Certificate Examination (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO). For example the university of Nigeria Nsukka, University of Ibadan and university of Lagos, require that ‘all candidates seeking for admission to study any course must have at least five credit passes in relevant subjects at one sitting including mathematics and English (UME,2008/2009)’.Despite the importance and usefulness of mathematics in Nigeria educational system, development of the nation at large through the study of science and technology, the student’s performance in mathematics both in internal and external examinations have continued to deteriorate year by year (Agwagah and Ezeugo,2000).