Impact of Higher-Order Thinking Skills Module Method on Mathematics Students’ Performance in Colleges of Education, North-Central Nigeria

Abstract

The effectiveness of teaching fractions and word problems in mathematics classroom relies on the selection of suitable teaching and learning strategies by the mathematics teacher Fractions are been introduced both at primary , junior, senior secondary schools and higher institution of learning This study examined the impacts of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) module method among Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE 2) Mathematics students’ performance in Colleges of Education based on MAT 224: difficult problems in Junior Secondary School Mathematics faced by the mathematics teachers after their pre-service training in terms of Fractions and Words problems involving quadratic equations. A quasi-experimental research design was used in this study. The study used two Colleges of Education in North Central, which are Federal Capital Territory (FCT) College of Education, Zuba –Abuja, and Niger State College of Education, Minna. A population of 365 NCE 2 Mathematics students in these Colleges of Education are offering MAT 224: Junior Secondary School Content. A sample of 70 and 65 (135) NCE 2 mathematics students of the two Colleges of Education respectively was used in this study. Sample in FCT College of Education, Zuba, 70 NCE 2 Mathematics students (30 students were assigned as treatment group and 40 students were in control group). While for Niger State College of Education, Minna, 65 NCE 2 mathematics students (30 students were in treatment group and 35 students in control group) that participated in this study. The Data were collected and analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as ANCOVA to answered the research questions and the hypotheses in the study. The results of the research questions showed that the performance test scores of both FCT COE Zuba and COE Minna students in the control group is higher in the post test when compare to the performance of the students in the treatment group. For the hypotheses, after adjusting the mean scores of students in both FCT COE Zuba and COE Minna.the results revealed that students in the treatment group showed significantly better performance scores as compared to those in the control group. Recommendations were made in the study.