Seminar on Effects of Games-Based Learning on Student Academics Performance in Mathematics in Private Junior Secondary School in Port Harcourt Metropolis
CHAPTER ONE
Objective of the study
The objectives of the study are;
- To determine the effects of game based learning on junior secondary private school students’ academic performance in mathematics.
- To find if there will be difference in male and female student’s academic performance in Mathematics when using game based learning.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Math Education
There continues to be a great need for teachers to make math fun and meaningful for their students to motivate them to want to learn and study mathematics (Ahmad, Shafie, and Latif, 2010). Ahmad et al. (2010) also noted that the main reasons students’ find problems in learning mathematics is the lack of motivation, lack of personal meaning of the subject, boredom, little encouragement for self-learning, and lack of continuity and focus. Many students lost their learning motivation in response to the repetitive and monotonous mathematical learning in the classroom given that many teachers continue to drill using exercises as basis to practice. The lost morale for learning mathematics is fast coming (Chen, ChenHui, WenShen, PenChen, & HanYun, 2014). Mathematics was a critical component of the careers responsible for many of the technological advances experienced in the growing global economy (Swearingen, 2011). STEM career opportunities were built on a solid foundation of mathematics. Thus, mathematics was considered as a very important subject in schools and should be taught in various ways to make learning more fun and reliable. Learning mathematics presented various challenges for many children (Starkey, P. L. (2013). Mathematics was often associated as a difficult and tedious subject to learn. The idea that mathematics need not be learned by students for the sake of career choice or advancement but students should be able to learn mathematics with understanding and therefore be able to apply mathematical ideas later in life is what I as other math educators hope to do (Tanner, 2014; Stanic, 1995). The learning of mathematics was a continuous process and was not limited to the classroom experience only. Prensky (2011) suggested that the educational system adopt a new pedagogy that included more learner centered approach like problem based and digital games learning models. He also added that the most effective use of technology in the classroom was to support a student’s teaching themselves under the guidance of the teacher. The role of digital technologies in enhancing learning and teaching has been a subject of interest to mathematics educators for the past three decades (Geiger, Forgasz, Tan, Calder, Hill, 2012). According to a research by Okeke (2016), mathematics was a universal language, a fundamental discipline, and the foundation of other scientific fields. However, young learners were frustrated with mathematics at elementary and secondary levels; the failure rate was alarming (Okeke, 2016). One solution to this failure rate was the use of computer technologies in which many abstract concepts were visualized through computer designs (Okeke, 2016). Moreover, Prensky (2011) argued that technology games helped improve success rates in schools. My purpose was to use digital games to enhance my students’ learning of math concept.
Constructivism in Mathematics Education
As defined by Simon (1995), constructivism was an educational theory that principally focused on the belief that learning was an active process. The learner was an information constructor. Students actively constructed or created their own representation of objective reality linked through prior knowledge. Constructivism has been a focus in mathematics education. Simon (1995), explained that since constructivism was not a teaching method but a perspective, educators were required to give students information and the important means to be able to explore mathematics in a constructivist approach by designing tasks that use the basic structures to stimulate thought for students. In this case, the role of the teacher became a facilitator who provided the tasks and widened the eyes of students to construct their own knowledge based on the given hints. Digital games based learning was a key to constructivism because it helped students collect hints from the games and therefore added to their educational experience reaching the goals of the required lesson.
Digital game based learning in math education and its impact
Digital game based learning described an environment where game content and game play enhanced knowledge and skills acquisition. That also, included problem solving spaces that provided learners with a sense of achievement (Prensky, 2011). The use of math games that clarified math concepts and allowed math practice, knowledge and skills were acquired. According to Trybus (2009), digital game based learning had many advantages which supported learning principles. It was cost effective, highly engaging, gave immediate feedback responses for students’ mistakes in a nonthreatening manner to reward correct responses or clarify misconceptions, easily transferred learning to a real world environment, and included standardized assessments for student to student comparison. In addition, Trybus (2009) believed that DGBL taught students how to think and perform while facing real world situations, and provided interactive experiences, which motivated and engaged students in the learning process. Thus the advantages listed allowed confidence building and math acquisition.
CHAPTER THREE
METHOD
The design adopted from the study quasi experimental research design. This design was used because the researcher was interested in studying the cause and the effects and in manipulating the independent variable (game based learning) in order to observe its effect on the dependent variable (academic achievement). The information gotten at end of the study is generalized to the entire population. The study was carried out ten (10) government secondary school in Portharcourt, Rivers State. The population of the study comprised of all mathematics students of Junior Secondary School class two (JSS2) totaling 12, 270 and we have eighteen (18) Private Secondary School in portharcourt, four (4) schools were selected. The researchers employed simple random sampling technique which is most appropriate to pick the sample. 30 students were selected from each school using a random sampling technique, making it a total of 280 students. All mathematics teachers in portharcourt were used in the study. These students and teachers from the respondent used for the study.
The instrument used in the collection of data was a teacher made test called mathematics Achievement test (Mat) which comprises of ten questions comprising of objective and 1 essay. the instrument was validated by two (2) expert in Mathematics and one in measurement and Evaluation. The reliability coefficient was established at 0.79 using kuder Richardson formula 20. A school outside the zone was used to test the reliability. The response modes are in five (5) point like scale SA= strongly agree, A= Agree, D= Disagree, SD = strongly Disagree with this, the respondents were expected to indicated their extent of agreement or disagreement with the item statistical mean was used to answer the research questions.
CHAPTER FOUR
Results
Research question 1
What is the difference in the mean of academic performance score of students taught mathematics with game based learning approach and those taught with conventional method?
CHAPTER FIVE
Conclusion
The study investigated the effects of game based learning on student academic performance in mathematics in private junior secondary school in portharcourt metropolis. The result of the study indicates a significant difference in the two teaching methods employed, in favor of game based learning; in addition, there was gender influence in favor of boys. It can be deduced therefore that game based learning is effective in teaching and learning of mathematics. Therefore, if given the chance in our secondary schools game based learning may be a means of improving learners’ achievement in mathematics
Recommendation
Game based learning approach should be incorporated in the mathematics curriculum teacher’s training schools.
Teachers should be dynamic in the type of game they employ in the process of teaching depending on the topic and concept.
Adequate supervision to ensure the use and understanding of game based learning approach should be ensured by the appropriate bodies concerned.
Educational administrators should organize seminars and workshops for secondary school teachers from time to time in order to update their knowledge on game based learning.
School authorities should not be too rigid to accept new and improved ways of learning mathematics
The government should build mathematics laboratories and equip them with game based learning materials both digital and manual. They should also send supervisors to inspect the proper use and management of these laboratory materials
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