Effects of the Use of Manipulative on the Performance and Retention Ability in Plane Geometry among Senior Primary Schools in Katsina State, Nigeria
Keywords:
Manipulative, Plane Geometry, Performance, Retention Ability, Geometric Manipulative TestAbstract
This study investigated the effect of the use of manipulative on performance and retention ability in plane geometry among senior primary pupils in Katsina State, Nigeria. The study employed quasi-experimental design involving pre-test, posttest, post post-test and control groups. The population of the study consists of 1,963,468 pupils across all the primary schools in Katsina State. Representative samples of 320 pupils were selected across the four education zones that were purposively selected for the research using Slovin’s formula. Geometry Manipulative Test (GMT) was used to collect the data needed from the pupils. The GMT was validated by three teachers’ currently teaching mathematics at the primary level. The GMT has a reliability coefficient of 0.75. The research was guided by four research objectives, four research questions and four hypotheses. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent sample t- test, related t-test and paired sample t-test) were used to analyze the data. Result of the analyses revealed among others thus: there was a significant difference between the mean performance of primary five pupils taught plane geometry using manipulative (ME = 12.93, MC = 9.94, SDE = 1.71 & SDC =2.15; p =0.000<0.05) and those taught without manipulative, there was no significant difference between posttest and post-posttest retention ability mean scores of boys and girls taught plane geometry using manipulative (Mm = 14.06, SDm = 2.73, Mf = 13.3. SDf = 2.63, p = 0.171>0.05). This shows that the pupils taught using manipulative were able to retain what they learn for two weeks. The study also shows a significant difference between retention ability of pupils. Based on the findings, it was recommended that primary mathematics curriculum should stress the use of manipulative when teaching and teachers of mathematics in primary school should be encouraged to use manipulative especially when teaching plane geometry and they should also learn to improvise whenever the materials are not available.