Empowering Discovery Learning and Direct Instruction with Computer-Assisted to Enhance Mathematical Performance

Abstract

In the current educational context, the low academic performance of students in mathematics indicates the need for the implementation of more effective teaching methods to support the understanding of complex concepts. The effectiveness of learning can be enhanced through computer-assisted instruction, particularly in discovery learning (DL-CA) and direct instruction (DI-CA) utilizing web-based media. This study employs a quantitative approach with statistical analysis to examine the significant impact of these teaching methods on students' mathematical performance. Discovery learning and direct instruction were applied to two groups studying numerical methods, focusing on the topic of nonlinear equation solutions using the bisection method, with each group consisting of 33 students. The statistical test results indicated that there was no significant difference in mathematical performance between the DL-CA and DI-CA groups; both methods showed comparable effectiveness. However, both methods had a significant effect on the N-Gain of the learning outcomes in both groups. The improvement in mathematical performance for the DL-CA group was better than that for the DI-CA group, with more students showing high improvement (11 students) compared to the DI-CA group (1 student). Additionally, in the low improvement category, the DL-CA group had fewer students (2 students) than the DI-CA group (8 students). This suggests that both discovery learning and direct instruction have almost equivalent reliability in achieving students' mathematical abilities, but DL-CA is more effective in enhancing performance compared to DI-CA.