EFFECT OF MATHEMATICS LABORATORY INSTRUCTION ON STUDENTS' GEOMETRY ACHIEVEMENT AND ATTITUDE AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN FCT MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

Abstract

This study set out to investigate the effect of mathematics laboratory instruction on geometry achievement in some selected secondary schools in FCT Municipal Council, Nigeria. A sample of N=232 students were drawn from 7,565 randomly selected from the secondary schools in FCT Municipal Council. The subjects were divided into two groups, the experimental group N=120 and the control group N=112. The study adopted the pretest, posttest experimental and control group design. A pretest was administered before the treatment to establish group equivalence in ability. The subjects in the experimental group were then exposed to the treatment using mathematics laboratory instruction, while the control group was exposed to the conventional method for a period of five weeks. One instrument was adopted and validated by experts for data collection. That is (i) geometry Achievement Test (GAT). The reliability coefficient was established at 0.786 respectively. Two null hypotheses were tested. The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis. The t-test for independent sample statistic was used to test for the hypotheses on achievement. The major findings from the study were that; (i) students exposed to Mathematics laboratory instruction achieved the learnt concept and developed more positive interest to geometry than their counterpart exposed to conventional method of teaching (ii) The Mathematics laboratory instruction was suitable for both male and female students in teaching and learning of geometry. On the basis of these findings, recommendations were made as follows: mathematics teachers should be encouraged to use mathematics laboratory instruction; school principals should provide all the materials needed for effective implementation.