The Effectiveness of the “Think-Pair-Share” Cooperative Learning Approach in the Teaching of Mensuration to Senior High School Students

Abstract

Senior high school candidates’ performance in mensuration over the years has been reported by the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) chief examiner to be very poor. This study investigated the effect of the “Think-Pair-Share” cooperative learning approach on students' academic performance in mensuration in two senior high schools in one municipality in the Northern Region of Ghana. This study’s objectives were to determine: i) the stage at which cooperative learning is most effective in student learning of mensuration ii) the effect of the cooperative learning on Senior High School (SHS) students’ academic performance in mensuration. A pre-test post-test non-equivalent control group design of quasi-experiment was used in this study. The study’s sample was made up of two intact classes of 41 and 43 students for the control and experimental groups respectively. A form two class from each of the two senior high schools in the municipality was selected by simple random sampling technique. A test (Pre-test and post-test) in mensuration was used to collect data for the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that the pair stage of the “Think-Pair-Share” was more effective than the thinking stage. The study also revealed that the cooperative learning approach improved students’ academic performance in mensuration in the municipality. The study concluded that the “Think-Pair-Share” cooperative learning approach is an effective strategy for teaching mensuration and recommended the use of the strategy in teaching mensuration. Teachers should consider examining students in pairs as it is the most effective stage of the approach.