Effects of Mastery Learning Strategy on Secondary School Students Performance in Mathematics

Abstract

The paper examined the effects of Mastery Learning Strategy (MLS) on secondary school students’ performance in Mathematics. It investigated differences in the performance of Mathematics students in conventional and MLS groups. The study adopted a pretest, posttest and control group quasi-experimental research design. The population for the study comprises all secondary school students in Ekiti State. 60 students were the sample selected using the stratified sampling technique. Achievement Test in Mathematics (ATM) was the instrument used for the study. The validity of the instrument was ensured by experts in Mathematics education while the reliability coefficient of 0.83 was obtained, which adjudged the instrument suitable for the study. The findings of the study revealed that there is a significant difference in post-test mean scores of students taught using MLS and the Conventional method. Also, there is no significant difference in the post-test and retention mean scores of students taught using the MLS and Conventional method. There is no significant difference in the post-test mean scores of male and female students taught using MLS and Conventional method. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that the use of MLS should be encouraged in Mathematics teaching.

Modelling Academic Performance in Science-Based Subjects in Primary Schools in Uganda

“…The increasing academic performance at distinction and credit levels is likely to be a result of teachers' commitment in terms of lesson preparation, good time management, parental support for their children, intensive supervision by head teachers and other stakeholders, improved facilities, and adequate learning aids. However, this study's findings that academic performance was improving at distinction and credit levels disagree with a report by Oginni and Oginni (2019) who reported that the trends in academic performance in science-based subjects in the developing world have generally been on the decrease.…”

“…The improvement in academic performance at distinction and credit levels could be because of teachers' commitment to work, setting of pupil's academic improvement targets to be met by teachers and learners, tight supervision by head teachers and other stakeholders, maintaining small classroom sizes and improved teaching-learning environment by private schools in Kigumba town council (Zuze & Leibbrandt, 2011). This finding disagrees with reports given by Thompson and Thompson (2018) and Oginni and Oginni (2019), who showed that the trend of learners' academic performance has been on the decrease in science-based subjects in most of the developing countries of the world.…”

“…The performance in science-based subjects in developing countries has continued to show a persistent decline in the last two decades (Adeyemi, 2011;Thompson & Thompson, 2018;Oginni & Oginni, 2019). This has been attributed, among others, to high enrolment rates, high pupil-teacher ratio, poor infrastructural development, poor teacher motivation, weak and inconsistent community engagement and poor supervision mechanisms (Ayodele, 1988;Kayabwe et al, 2014;Thompson & Thompson, 2018;Avvaru et al, 2023).…”

“…Pryor et al (2012) attribute the decline in academic performance in schools to old-fashioned curricula and ineffective pedagogy that limits students to memorising facts and reciting them back to the teacher. Yet performance in science basedsubjects in primary school is used as a yardstick for measuring a child's level of academic development which in turn affects their progression from the primary to secondary level of their studies (Oginni & Oginni, 2019;Sümen, 2020). Moreover, sciencebased subjects are highly treasured due to their contribution to economic development.…”

Procedural Knowledge-Based Strategies in Improving Student Learning Outcomes in Ordinary Differential Equations Courses

“…This means that learning strategies are an important thing that determines how learning takes place. Learning strategies are defined as methods that teachers use to form constructive students in a particular lesson, through the demonstration of different skills needed over time (Oginni et al, 2021).…”