Effects of teams - games - tournaments cooperative learning strategy on students’ mathematics achievement, self- concept and perception of learning environment in public secondary schools in Nyeri Central sub-county, Kenya

Abstract

Mathematics is an important component of everyday human activities and survival. Despite its significance, learners’ performance in the subject has been dismal. Conventional teaching methods used in class have impacted negatively on learners’ achievement, self-concept and perception of mathematics learning environment. This study sought to investigate the effects of Teams-Games-Tournaments Cooperative Learning Strategy (TGTCLS) on Students’ Mathematics achievement, Self–Concept and Perception of the learning environment. A Quasi- experimental Solomon Four Non-Equivalent Control Group Design was used in the study. The target population was all secondary school students in Nyeri Central Sub-County. The accessible population was all Form Two students in the Sub-County. Simple random sampling was used to select four Sub-County public secondary schools. A sample of 180 Form Two students participated in the study. The study focused on the topic Similarity and Enlargement, a mathematics topic which is taught at Form Two level in secondary schools. Two experimental groups (E1 and E2) were taught using TGTCLS as treatment while two control groups (C1 and C2) were taught using the conventional teaching methods (CTM). Data was collected using a Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT), a Mathematics Self-Concept Questionnaire (MSCQ) and a Mathematics Learning Environment Perception Questionnaire (MLEQ). The instruments were validated by four experts in Educational Research in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Education Management of Egerton University and three secondary school Mathematics teachers. The instruments were pilot-tested in one of the Sub-County schools in the neighboring Tetu Sub-County. Cronbach Alpha Coefficient was used to estimate the Reliability of the instruments. Reliability Coefficient of 0.850, 0.782 and 0.861 were attained for MAT, MSCQ and MLEQ respectively and hence the instruments were deemed to be reliable. Descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (t-Tests and ANOVA) were used to analyse the data with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. Findings of this study show that learners in the experimental groups had better scores in MAT, MSCQ and MLEQ than those in the control groups. Secondary school mathematics teachers and students are encouraged to apply TGTCLS in order to improve achievement, students’ self-concept and perception of classroom learning environment. Teacher trainers, curriculum developers and implementers are likely to benefit from this study in deciding on the appropriate learning strategy for learners in order to improve mathematics performance in the country.