The Efficacy of GeoGebra-Assisted Instruction on Students’ Drawing and Interpretations of Linear Functions

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of GeoGebra assisted instruction on students’ achievement in drawing graphs of linear functions and interpretation of the representations of linear functions. These aspects of linear functions tend to pose a challenge to many students. The non-equivalent control group pre-test-post-test quasi-experimental research design was used in the study. The sample was 94 Grade 9 students from three secondary schools in a province in South Africa. Two schools formed the control groups and one school was the experimental group. Data were collected using achievement tests. The tests results were analysed using inferential statistics (Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U comparison tests) at 0.05 level of significance. Statistically significant differences were found between the groups with respect to drawing and interpretation of linear functions graphs with the experimental group obtaining the highest mean scores. The findings suggest that GeoGebra assisted instruction might be a way of enhancing students’ ability to draw the graphs of linear functions and analyse and interpret the representations of linear functions.