Junior Secondary School Mathematics Research Articles

Mathematics Continuous Assessment Scores as Predictors of Students' Performance in Junior Secondary School Mathematics Examinations in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Mathematics Continuous Assessment Scores as Predictors of Students' Performance in Junior Secondary School Mathematics Examinations in Ekiti State, Nigeria

The Implementation of TPACK (Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge) Framework on Indonesian Online Mathematics Teachers Training

This study aimed to describe how the implementation of the TPACK (Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge) framework used for online mathematics teacher training, and to observe participants’ response of the course. This research was a case study of online training for 30 Indonesian junior secondary school mathematics teachers on a quadrilateral course developed using the TPACK framework. The TPACK framework provides a map for understanding how to effectively integrate technology and instructional strategies into the content. The finding of this study for the teachers in the sample were: (1) The TPACK framework was implemented interactively in the integration process of GeoGebra (technology) using discovery learning strategies (pedagogy) on the square area formula (content) for quadrilateral properties; (2) The use of the TPACK framework on the online course received positive responses from teachers in the sample and they stated that it would be interesting and helpful when used in the classroom.

Developing higher-order thinking skill (HOTS) test instrument using Lombok local cultures as contexts for junior secondary school mathematics

The study was aimed at producing a valid and reliable higher-order thinking skill (HOTS) test instrument using Lombok local cultures as contexts in the junior secondary school mathematics subject matter. The study is developmental research involving a field try-out of 75 students of Grade VIII. Data were analyzed using classical test theories of difficulty levels, discriminating powers, and functioning distractors. The test validity is assessed using the Aiken formula and reliability is estimated by Cronbach Alpha. Findings show that, of the 20 initial multiple-choice items, 15 were valid and reliable and had the characteristics of good test items with a medium-rated difficulty level average of 0.28, a good-rated discriminating power of 0.31), a good-rated reliability coefficient of 0.79, and all distractors well-functioning.

Development and Validation of an Instrument for Assessing Junior Secondary School Mathematics Classroom Environment in Enugu State of Nigeria

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an instrument for assessing junior secondary school Mathematics classroom environment as it affects teaching and learning of Mathematics in Enugu State. Instrumentation research design was adopted for the study. The sample of the study consisted of 1710 students drawn from the population of 43,540 Junior Secondary 1, 2 and 3 students for 2010/2011 academic session in the 75 public junior secondary schools in Enugu State. The instrument used for data collection was the Mathematics Classroom Environment Assessment Scale (MCEAS) developed and validated by the researcher. The instrument covered nine dimensions as follows: Involvement, Affiliation, Teacher Support, Task- Orientation, Cooperation, Competition, Order and organization, Teacher Control and innovation. The instrument has two sections: students’ actual and students’ preferred forms. These items will enable students to provide information about the learning environment that is present in their classroom (the actual environment) as well as information about the learning environment that they would like to be present (preferred environment). Three research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The statistical techniques used in analyzing the data were factor analysis, Cronbach’s alpha and analysis of variance. A test of reliability showed that the instrument was reliable at 0.82 and 0. 97. This result made the researcher to recommend that the instrument MCEAS be used in junior secondary schools in Enugu State to ascertain effective Mathematics classroom learning environment. The findings showed that students preferred more favorable Mathematics classroom environment than was perceived as being actually present.Keywords: Development and Validation, Mathematics, Classroom and Environment

A professional experience learning community for secondary mathematics: developing pre-service teachers’ reflective practice

This paper reports on the reflective practice of a group of nine secondary mathematics pre-service teachers. The pre-service teachers participated in a year-long, school-based professional experience program which focussed on observing, co-teaching and reflecting on a series of problem-solving lessons in two junior secondary school mathematics classrooms. The study used a mixed methods approach to consider the impact of shared pedagogical conversations on pre-service teachers’ written reflections. It also examined whether there were differences in the focus of reflections depending on whether the lesson was taught by an experienced mathematics teacher, or taught by a pair of their peers, or co-taught by themselves with a peer. Results suggest that after participants have observed lessons taught by an experienced teacher and reflected collaboratively on those lessons, they continue to reflect on lessons taught by their peers and on their own lessons when co-teaching, rather than just describe or evaluate them. However, their written reflections across all contexts continued to focus primarily on teacher actions and classroom management rather than on student learning.

Teachers’ Beliefs and Technology: Calculator Use in Mathematics Instruction in Junior Secondary Schools in Botswana

<p style="text-align:justify">Lesson starts are transitional events which may cause management problems for teachers This study sought junior secondary school mathematics teachers’ beliefs about calculator use in mathematics instruction in Botswana and was descriptive in nature adopting a survey design. The sample of seventeen (17) mathematics teachers from four (4) junior secondary schools in the Tutume Sub-district in Central Educational Region was selected through a purposive random sampling procedure. A questionnaire comprising both closed and open ended questions was designed to collect data then the analysis of results was carried out using descriptive and inferential statistics. As an illustration, a t-test was used to test for differences in teachers’ beliefs by gender while a one-way ANOVA was used to test for difference in their beliefs by experience. The study revealed that most of the teachers expressed their lack of confidence and were incompetent with the use of a calculator in their teaching with female teachers feeling less confident to explain different functions of a calculator than their male counterparts. In addition, the study showed that most of the teachers believed that a calculator was a technological tool that could be useful to the students in the future. On the contrary, most teachers felt that the overuse of calculators by the students could hamper the development of basic computational skills. Therefore, it was recommended that school based training on calculator use should be provided so as to empower teachers with the necessary technological skills for effective classroom instruction. The study findings have implications to research and practice as it provides unique and comprehensive data that will lead to insight for curriculum designers, policy implementers and instructional leaders on effective calculator use in math instruction.</p>

Effect of Formative Testing with Feedback on Students’ Achievement in Junior Secondary School Mathematics in Ondo State, Nigeria

The study investigated the effect of formative testing with feedback as an instructional strategy on junior secondary school students’ achievement in mathematics in Ondo State. The effects of gender and socio-economic status on this learning outcome were also examined. The sample for the study consisted of 227 junior secondary school two (JSS II) students in intact classes of three co-educational schools purposively selected from Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State. The study employed quasi-experimental design with treatment at three levels namely: Formative Test with Feedback, Formative Test only and Non-Formative Test which served as control. The treatment levels were crossed with students’ socio-economic status (high, medium and low) and gender (male and female). Five research instruments namely: Formative Tests I, II and III, Socio-Economic Status Questionnaire (SESQ) and Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) were constructed, validated and used for the collection of all revelant data. The data collected were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and Scheffe’s Post-Hoc Analysis. Results from the study revealed a significant effect of treatment on students’ achievement in mathematics. However, there were no significant effects of gender and socio-economic status (SES) on achievement in mathematics.

Effect of Feedback and Remediation on Students’ Achievement in Junior Secondary School Mathematics

The study investigated the effects of feedback and remediation as instructional strategies on junior secondary school students’ achievement in mathematics. The effects of gender and socio economic status on these learning outcomes were also examined. The sample for the study consisted of 240 junior secondary two (JSS II) students in intact classes of three co–educational schools purposively selected from Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State. The study employed quasi–experimental design with treatment at three levels namely: Formative Test with Feedback and Remediation, Formative Test with Feedback only and Formative Test without feedback and remediation which served as control. The treatment levels were crossed with students’ socio economic status (high, medium and low) and gender (male and female). Five research instruments including three Formative Tests I. II and III in Mathematics, Socio Economic Status Questionnaire (SESQ) and Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) were constructed, validated, and used for the collection of all relevant data. The data collected were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and Scheffe’s Post–Hoc Analysis. Results from the study revealed a significant effect of treatment on students’ achievement in mathematics. However, there were no significant effects of gender and socio economic status (SES) on achievement in mathematics.

Effects of mathematical game and instructional analogy as advance organizers on students’ achievement in secondary school mathematics

The study investigated the effects of mathematical game and instructional analogy on students’ achievement in junior secondary school mathematics. A total of 246 Junior Secondary Two (JS2) Mathematics students were involved in the study. A 3×2 factorial design was adopted in the research. From the findings, it was observed that: a. both game and analogy enhance achievement in mathematics, b. analogy was found to be more effective in facilitating students’ achievement in mathematics than game, c. a nonsignificant difference existed between the achievement of male and female mathematics students taught with either game or analogy, and d. there was no significant interaction between the use/non-use of advance organizers and gender on mathematics students’ achievement. It was recommended that teachers should be encouraged to adopt instructional analogy more than game in teaching number and numeration and algebraicprocesses in mathematics.Keywords: mathematical games, instructional analogy, mathematicsachievement, advance organizers, gender differences in mathematics

Analysis of Students’ Performance in Junior Secondary School Mathematics Examination in Bayelsa State of Nigeria

Mathematics is the bedrock of all science and technologically based subjects. The poor performance of students in mathematics tests has become a thing of great concern to all stakeholders such as: ...

Effect of Using Mathematics Laboratory in Teaching Mathematics on the Achievement of Mathematics Students.

The study investigated the effect of using mathematics laboratory in teaching on students’ achievement in Junior Secondary School Mathematics. A total of 100 JS 3 Mathematics students were involved in the study. The study is a quasi-experimental research. Results were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). From the findings, it was observed that the use of mathematics laboratory enhanced achievement in mathematics. The results also showed that no significant difference exists in the achievement of male and female mathematics students taught with mathematics laboratory. The study recommended that teachers should be encouraged to use mathematics laboratory in teaching plane geometry and algebraic expression and mathematics student teachers should be trained on its use in their methodology class. Key words: junior secondary school, plane geometry, methodology class.