EFFECT OF MATHEMATICAL GAME ON STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENT IN QUADRATIC EXPRESSIONS IN ONITSHA EDUCATION ZONE OF ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the effect of mathematical game on student’s achievement in quadratic expressions. The study employed a non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental design. The sample for this study comprised of one hundred and ten J.S.S II students. The study was conducted in six secondary schools (2 male, 2 female and 2 co-educational). The schools were drawn through a stratified random sampling technique. In each school, one intact class was drawn for the study through simple balloting. Out of the six schools, three schools (one male, one female and one co-educational) were assigned to the treatment group while the remaining three schools were assigned to the control group. The treatment group was taught quadratic expressions using the game approach while the control group was taught quadratic expressions using the conventional method. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. Quadratic Expression Achievement Test was used to collect data on the achievement of students. The data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA). The result revealed that the mathematical game approach is superior to the conventional method in facilitating achievement in mathematics. The study also revealed that although with mathematical game approach, males showed higher achievement than the females, the difference in the mean achievement of males and females taught using the method is not statistically significant. There was no significant interaction between gender and instructional method on student’s achievement in quadratic expression. Based on the finding of the study, the researchers among others recommended that primary and secondary school mathematics teachers should be encouraged to adopt mathematical game approach as part of their teaching methods.