Effects of Heuristic Problem-Solving strategies on students’ achievement and retention in Mathematics in Ogun State, Nigeria

Source abstract

The ability to solve problems is an important and integral part for learning mathematics. Teaching students to use Heuristic Problem-Solving strategies can help them become expert problem-solvers and assist them in transferring and applying their contextual knowledge to novel problems and situations. It is on this background that this study examines the effects of Heuristic Problem-Solving strategies on students’ achievement in and retention in mathematics in Ogun-State, Nigeria. The research made use of quantitative and quasi-experimental design. A total of eighty students from two public secondary classes participated in the study. Three hypotheses guided the study. Based on the hypotheses, an experimental and a control group was used. Three tests (pre-test, post-test and delayed post-test) were administered. Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) was used as instrument to collect data. The reliability coefficient of MAT is 0.82. Data was analysed using independent t-test analysis. Three important contributions were made by this work. First of all, it is the first field study to examine whether the student – oriented teaching method (Heuristic Problem-Solving) affects the Senior Secondary school one (SSS1) in Ogun state, Nigeria. Secondly, the intervention has been showed to be effective and efficient in teaching mathematics in senior secondary schools, since it enhances the achievement and retention of the students in learning of mathematics. Thirdly, this research can inform suggestions in the implementation of student-centered teaching methods in education reforms in Nigeria.