Effect of Cooperative Learning Strategy (CLS) On Senior Secondary School Students’ Academic Performance in Mathematics in Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of cooperative learning strategy on senior secondary school students’ performance in Mathematics. The study adopted a quasi-experimental research design. The sample for the study consisted of one hundred and forty-four (144) Senior Secondary School two students, selected from Awka Education, Anambra State, Nigeria. The instrument for data collection was Mathematics Performance Test (MPT). The instrument was validated by three experts and had a reliability index of 0.89 obtained through the use of Pearson product moment correlation. Three research questions and three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The collected data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while t-test statistics was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 alpha levels. The result of the study showed among others that senior secondary school students performed highly when taught Mathematics concepts using cooperative learning instructional strategy; both the male and female students benefitted equally from the cooperative learning strategy. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that Mathematics teachers should adopt cooperative learning strategy as an effective learning strategy in order to improve senior secondary school students’ academic performance. Also, school management boards should organize workshops, seminars and conferences to expose teachers and students constantly to the use of the strategy for maximum academic output.