EFFECT OF ADVANCE ORGANIZER TEACHING STRATEGY ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF STATISTICS TOPICS IN MATHEMATICS IN MERU SOUTH, KENYA

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of advance organizers teaching strategy on the secondary students’ conceptual understanding of topic statistics in mathematics, in Meru South, Kenya. The learning requirement in the 21st centuary is to develop life long learners who are able to cope with emerging issues in life. Mathematical knowledge and skills are required especially in high technological advancements in society. They are made of of principles, theories, constructs and concepts that need to be developed to meet emerging challenges. Topics in mathematics have unique level of learning challenges. This has made many students to perceive the subject as difficult leading to poor performance as compared to sciences such as biology, physics and chemistry. Mathematics instructional methods have been identified among the factors contributing to the problem of poor performance in secondary schools mathematics in Kenya. This study, therefore, sought to reverse this trend in performance. The research was based on constructivists’ theory pioneered by Ausubel. Solomon four quasi- experimental research design was used. Students in the experimental groups (E1 and E2) were taught using advance organizer teaching strategy and students in the control groups (C1 and C2) were taught using convectional teaching methods. The target population was all Form two students in 56 public secondary school of Meru. Purposive sampling was used to draw four Co educational schools in Meru South. Assignment of the schools to either experimental or control group was done through simple random sampling. The sample size of the study was 168 students.’ The instrument was Mathematics Conceptual Understanding Achievement Test (MCUAT). The research instrument was pilot-tested in a school in a secondary school with similar characteristics as the study sample in Maara Sub - County. Reliability was estimated using cronbach coefficient alpha method. The instrument yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.75. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (t-test, One-way ANOVA and Post-Hoc) analysis which was undertaken using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25.0 at 0.05. The findings established that students taught using advance organizers had a higher level of conceptual understanding of statistics topic than those taught using conventional teaching methods. Thus mathematics teachers should ensure there is proper planning and preparation of learning materials to be presented prior to lesson presentation.