This study investigated the relationship between the science curiosity levels of undergraduate of mathematics education in a Nigerian higher educational institution and their academic grade point averages. The study employed a correlational survey research design on a random sample of 104 mathematics education students. The Science Curiosity Scale -Comparative Self Report was adapted to measure the students' distinctive appetite for consuming science-related media for personal edification. The correlational analysis of science curiosity scores and the students CGPA indicated a weak negative relationship (r = -0.049, p = 0.621), suggesting an interplay of other important factors in the relationship between academic performance and science curiosity. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that key stakeholders of mathematics education consider curiosity as a complex ability related to several functions of the mind and that it enhances systematic commitment on the part of the learner, providing enormous foundational benefits that could be reaped in the process of educating students.

AbstrakBercerita sering dianggap sebagai transfer pembelajaran yang kuno, khususnya bagi anak-anak. Penelitian ini mengadopsi desain penelitian survei sederhana untuk mengeksplorasi sejauh mana guru menggunakan cerita di kelas matematika tingkat pendidikan dasar di Nigeria. Penelitian ini dimulai dengan perumusan premis mengenai cerita tradisional yang semakin ditinggalkan oleh perubahan yang disebabkan karena penggunaan teknologi yang semakin pesat di suatu negara. Subjek penelitian ini adalah 38 guru matematika yang dipilih secara acak pada Sekolah Dasar Makurdi di Benue State, Nigeria. Analisis data diperoleh melalui Basic mathematics Storytelling Investigation (BMSI) yang mengungkapkan bahwa meskipun tingkat kesadaran bercerita yang tinggi sebagai pendekatan pengajaran di antara guru matematika, hanya sedikit 37% yang menggunakan cerita di kelas matematika mereka. Analisis tematik tambahan dari cerita yang dideskripsikan oleh guru menunjukkan bahwa cerita dapat digunakan untuk mengilustrasikan tujuan pembelajaran dan memotivasi peserta didik untuk aktif dalam pembelajaran. Hasil penelitian yang tidak sengaja diperoleh melalui metode kualitatif mengungkapkan bahwa pola khusus dari cerita yang diberikan oleh guru matematika cenderung jauh dari cerita rakyat lokal dan tradisi lisan. Selain itu, terdapat indikasi bahwa melalui ajakan secara sadar yang tepat, guru matematika SD tertarik untuk mengunakan cerita dalam praktik mengajar ke depan.Kata kunci: Bercerita, Pendidikan Dasar Nigeria, Cerita Rakyat, Etnomatematika, Budaya Abstract Storytelling has been severally regarded as the oldest method of instruction delivery, particularly for children. This study adopts a simple survey research design to explore the extent of storytelling usage by teachers in the mathematics classroom at the primary education level in Nigeria. The investigation was conducted on the premise that traditional folktales are heading down the path to extinction and are steadily being blown away in the wind of change being fanned by increasing technology penetration in the country. The participants of the study are 38 mathematics teachers drawn randomly from primary schools within Makurdi metropolis of Benue State, Nigeria. Analysis of data obtained through the Basic mathematics Storytelling Investigation (BMSI) revealed that despite the high level of awareness of storytelling as a teaching approach among mathematics teachers, only a meager 37% make use of stories in their mathematics classroom. Additional thematic analysis of stories described by the teachers showed that stories were used to illustrate learning points and motivate learners to action within the instructional context. An unintended outcome from the qualitative methods unveiled specific patterns of stories used by the mathematics teachers that are far from local folktales and oral traditions. There was also an indication that with an appropriate awareness campaign, primary mathematics teachers intend to use storytelling in their future teaching practice.

This study was carried out to investigate Mathematics interest as a correlate of Basic 9 students achievement in Mathematics in Gboko Metropolis, Benue State, Nigeria. Three research questions were asked and three hypotheses were formulated. The study adopted a correlation design. The population of the study was 3,682 while a sample of 400 Basic 9 students was drawn from ten secondary schools using multistage sampling procedure made up of 200 male and 200 female students. Two research instruments Maths Interest Inventory (MII) and Students Mathematics Achievement Test (SMAT) were adapted. The instruments were validated by three experts and trial-tested, on a population outside the study area. Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient was used to get the reliability coefficient of MII which was 0.83. While that of SMAT was 0.65 using Kuder-Richardson 21 formula. The research questions were answered using Pearson Product Moment Coefficients and hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using p-values of Pearson Product Moment Coefficient. The findings of the study revealed that there was a significant relationship between Mathematics Interest and students achievement in Mathematics. Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between Mathematics Interest and students achievement in Mathematics among male and female students. The study recommends that Interest have the potential of improving students achievement positively and should be encouraged among students.Student Interest, Mathematics Achievement.

This study developed and assessed a web-based ethnomathematics instructional content repository for pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers in Benue State, Nigeria. The study adopted a developmental research design to systematically build and evaluate the educational intervention as a solution to complex problems in mathematics education practice. The development was achieved using WordPress Version 5.4, hosted online at https://villagemath.net on Linux OS server running with cPanel v80.p (Build 20), Apache Version 2.4.39, PHP Version 5.6.40 and MySQL Version 5.7.26. The study was guided by seven research questions posed around common web metrics, key performance indices, and quality assessment in terms of content, navigation, structure, appearance and uniqueness of the designed web tool. Five hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance using t-test. The sample for the study comprises 341 pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers drawn from a population of 2981 using purposive sampling. The main instrument of the study is the researcher-developed Web-based Ethnomathematics Instructional Content Repository Assessment Questionnaire -WEICRAQ (Cronbach Alpha Coefficient = 0.98, indicating a high level of internal consistency of the instrument). Additional data collection was handled using WP Statistics, Pingdom Tools, Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix and WebPage Test. The research questions were answered using charts, graphs, mean and standard deviation. Analysis of the results of the study yielded a positive pattern of common web metrics for the designed web tool, indicating that the platform appeals to a wide range of users, with key performance indicators such as speed index, page size, and last painted hero affirming that the platform is robust, elegantly designed and fast. The results also showed that pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers in Benue State, Nigeria unanimously rated the Web-based Ethnomathematics Instructional Content Repository high in terms of content, navigation, structure, appearance and uniqueness. The outcomes of this study has demonstrated that culture can indeed become an integral part of every aspect of instructional design, making it important to consider social and cultural peculiarities in planning and delivering mathematics instruction. The Web-based Ethnomathematics Instructional Content Repository has humanized Mathematics for users and provided a reservoir of resources for training students in conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning and productive disposition. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that Mathematics teachers should continue to use the Webbased Ethnomathematics Instructional Content Repository as a worthy companion tailored to their specific professional needs, and that students across all levels of education should seek deeper and more enriched learning experience by continuously leveraging on instructional resources available on the web tool to enhance t...