Background to theStudy
For science and technology to successfully achieve the goals of sustainable development in any country, there is need to engage creatively in science and mathematics education. Bajah (2000) noted that no nation can make any meaningful progress in the information technology age, particularly in economic development without technology which has science and mathematics as its foundations. This is because the level of Science, Technology and Mathematics Education (STME) of any nation has been widely accepted to be indicative of that nation’s socio-economic and geo-politicaldevelopment.
In the National Policy on Education, Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004), mathematics is one of the core subjects to be offered by all students up till the tertiary levels of education. This compulsory nature of mathematics carries with it the assumption that the knowledge of the subject is essential for all members of the society. In fact, mathematics competence is a critical determinant of the post- secondary education and career options available to young people (Okereke, 2006). Stressing on the importance of mathematics, Ukeje (1986) described the subject as the mirror of civilization in all the centuries of painstaking calculation and the most basic disciplinefor any person who would be truly educated in any science and in many otherendeavours.
Despite the importance placed on mathematics, it is very disappointing to note that students’ performance in the subject at both internal and external examinations has remained consistently poor. Also, statistics show that mass failure in mathematics examination is real and the trend of students’ performance has been on the decline (Betiku, 2002; Maduabum&Odili 2006; WAEC, 2008; NECO,2009).
Many variables had been identified by Betiku (2002) as responsible for the poor performance of students in mathematics. Such variables include governments, curriculum, examination bodies, teachers, students, home, and textbook. The government failed to train and recruit more qualified mathematics teachers with a teacher: student ratio of 1:80 that will handle the abstract curriculum that does not address to immediate use of mathematics in everyday life. Some of the available few mathematics teachers give the students impression that mathematics is meant for special people. Apart from these variables, some specific variables have been identified by Udeinya&Okabiah (1991) and Amazigo (2000) to include: poor primary school background in mathematics, lack of interest on the part of the students, lack of incentives for the teachers, incompetent teachers in primary schools, students not interested in hard work, perception that mathematics is difficult, large class syndrome, psychological fear of the subject, poor methods of teaching,andlackofqualifiedmathematicsteachers,whichresultsinteachingofthesubject by unqualified, untrained and inexperiencedauxiliaryteachers.The poor performance in mathematics alsoemanatedfromanxiety and fear. Phobia has been observed by Aprebo (2002) tobeanacademic disease whose virus has not yet been fully diagnosedforaneffective treatment in the class and the symptoms of thisphobiaareusually expressed on the faces of mathematics studentsintheirclasses. He further pointed out that the final output of thisfearisspread to all subjects that relate to mathematics and this may resultinlearners refusing to improve their interest in mathematics.TheWAECChief Examiner’s Report (2005) suggested thatstudents’performancein mathematics could be improved through meaningfulandproperteaching. According to the report, teachers shouldhelpstudentsdevelop interest in mathematics by reducing theabstractnessofmathematics, and thence remove their apathy and fearsofthesubject. Thus it becomes pertinent to look for interventionsthatcouldbe manipulated in order to find their effects on learningoutcomes.Thiscould address the problems of teaching and learning ofmathematicsinschools. Based on this, the researcher used mathematicalgamesandanalogies as advanced organizers in teaching mathematics students two units of JS2 mathematics contents and compared their effects with teaching without advanced organizer (using modified lecturemethod).
Mathematical games and instructional analogy are types of advance organizer learning strategies advocated by Ausubel (1962). Ausubelin Onwioduokit&Akinbobola (2005) described advance organizer learning strategy as a pedagogic strategy for implementing the programme principles of progressive differentiation and integrative reconciliation which involves appropriately linking the known with unknown. It is used to provide a conceptual framework which students can use to clarify the taskahead.
Obodo (1997) described mathematical games as activity in form of puzzles, magic tricks, fallacies, paradoxes or any type of mathematics which provides amusement or curiosity and stimulates mathematical thinking, excitement and spirit of competition and co- operation. Many reasons abound for using mathematical games. The games help to reduce the level of abstraction involved in teaching and learning a concept in mathematics, capturing the learner’s interest and providing for active participation of the students. Obodo further stressed that games do not only help in releasing tension and boredom in class but also provide an environment where the children can develop their individual and collective skills and acquire more knowledge.