Effect of a Constructivist Approach on Students' Problem-Solving Skills in Mathematics Education

Abstract

The study investigated the impact of a constructivist approach on students' problem-solving skills in mathematics education on secondary school students’ performance in Emohua Local Government area, Rivers State. The study employed a pre-test, post-test, and non-random control group quasi-experimental research design involving a sample of 84 mathematics students from a population of senior secondary school students. Two research questions and hypotheses were used for this study. The mean and standard deviation were used to analyse and answer the research questions, while the hypotheses were tested using ANCOVA statistics at a 0.05 level of significance. A 25-item instrument, Constructivist ProblemSolving Mathematics Test (CPMT) was used to gather data, and was validated for content and face validity. A reliability coefficient of 0.86 was obtained using Kuder-Richardson 21 (KR21). The results revealed that there is a significant difference between the mean scores of students taught mathematics with a constructivist approach and those taught mathematics with a lecture method. Also, there is no difference in the problem-solving skills of mathematics male and female students taught using a constructivist approach. Based on these findings, the study recommended, among others, that there is a need for mathematics teachers to approach the teaching of mathematics with more innovative approaches. This includes a constructivist-based teaching strategy to develop students' problem-solving skills in mathematics.