Effect of Puzzle Cooperative Learning Strategy and Lecture Instructional Approach on Students’ Mathematics Achievement in Schools in Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State

Abstract

The effect of the lecture and puzzle cooperative learning method on the performance of students in mathematics with respect to changes in the instruction strategy was a topic of investigation in this study. The research design used was a quasi-experimental design consisting of a pretest, posttest and non-equivalent control group. The population of the study was approximately 4,000 students in the Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State. The mixed schools were separated by purposive sampling, and a sample size of 200 students was selected by simple random sampling. The study instrument was the Geometry Achievement Test (GAT), a test consisting of fifty multiple-choice queries and administered to collect data. The fifty items in the multiple-choice queries during the pretest and posttest were the same. Three experts in science education pilot-tested the tool, and the reliability coefficient was calculated using the Kuder Richardson Formula 21 (KR-21). The study followed two hypotheses and two research queries as a guide. The mean and standard deviation answered the research queries; t-test and ANCOVA at the 0.05 level significance was used to test the hypotheses. Based on the study outcomes, lecture methods and puzzle collaborative learning were influential to the extent that they exerted a significant effect on the mathematical ability of the students. Overall, it was found that the puzzle cooperative strategy proved efficient in enhancing the math ability of the students at different levels.