Comparative effects of hands-on activities and ICT-Based approach on student's interest in Geometry

Abstract

Students' lack of interest in some difficult aspects of mathematics, such as Geometry, and how it affects their performance in mathematics had been established. This study, therefore, investigated the effects of three approaches (Hands-on activities, ICT based and conventional) on students' interest in geometry. The study adopted pre-test post-test control group quasi-experimental design. 269 senior secondary school students (156 males and 113 females) were selected for the study from six co-educational schools in Oyo State, using simple random sampling technique. Geometry Interest Inventory was used for data collection. Data was analysed using ANCOVA. The findings showed that there was a significant main effect of treatment on students' interest in geometry (F(2,262)

= 22.139, p < .05,) Partial Eta Square (η2= .15) which implies that the treatments accounted for 15% variance observed in students' interest in geometry. The ICT group had the highest performance (X= 66.03, S.D = 1.10) followed by Hands – on group (X= 63.86, S.D = 1.15) and lastly Control group (X= 55.88 S.D = 1.14) The main effect of gender on students' interest was not

statistically significant (F(1,262)

= 1.016, p ? .05). The interaction effect of treatment and gender

(F(2,262)

=   0.815, p ? .05,) was not statistically significant. It was therefore recommended that

mathematics teachers should endeavour to get the students fully engaged during the course of instruction delivery, in order to engender their interest in geometry mostly with the use of ICT.