EFFECT OF GUIDED DISCOVERY AND GRAPHICAL APPROACHES ON MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT AND ATTITUDE OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MINNA, METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the Impact of guided discovery and graphical approaches on mathematics achievement and attitude of senior secondary school students in Minna, Metropolis. Relevant literature were also reviewed inline with the objectives of the study. Quasi-experimental design precisely, pre-test, posttest, non-equivalent control group was adopted for the study. The target population for this study consists of three thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine (3,999) senior secondary school students II in Minna, Metropolis (Male=1641, Female=2358) in 2020/2021 academic session from 3 public senior secondary schools in Minna metropolis of Niger State. The sample for this study consists of 110 students and simple random sampling technique was employed in the selection of the schools. Two instruments were adapted for the study which consists of Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) and Mathematics Attitude Rating Scale (MARS). Descriptive statistics (mean and Standard Deviation) method was used to answer the research questions and ANOVA and t-test were used to analyze the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The instruments were validated by expert and the reliability coefficient was 0.90 and 0.88 for MAT and MARS respectively. The findings of the study revealed that students performed better in the experimental group (guided discovery method and graphical approach) than the control group using conventional method of teaching with mean gain of 31.43 and 32.00 against 29.49. The result also showed that the students have developed positive attitude towards mathematics after teaching using graphical approach. Recommendations included among others that; Mathematics teachers should endeavor to use the graphical approach teaching strategy in teaching equations both linear and quadratic and some other Mathematics concepts that are tagged “difficult” since this method enhances achievement and has the potentials of developing critical thinking and creative abilities in the students and Students should be serious, hardworking, initiative and creative to enable them carryout independent or group work, such as assignments or project given to them by the mathematics teachers among others