Effect of Information and Communication Technology Instructional Methods on Senior Secondary School Students' Achievement, Attitude, Retention, and Classroom Participation in Mathematics in Kogi State, Nigeria

Abstract

The persistent poor performance of senior secondary school students in mathematics has remained a major concern among educators and policymakers in Nigeria. This study investigated the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) instructional methods on students' academic achievement, attitude toward mathematics, retention of mathematical concepts, and classroom participation in senior secondary schools in Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. The study adopted a quasi experimental, non-equivalent control group design involving 250 Senior Secondary School Two (SS II) students selected from four public secondary schools using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using the Mathematics Achievement Test, Students' Attitude toward Mathematics Questionnaire, Mathematics Retention Test, and Classroom Participation Observation Schedule. Frequency counts, percentages, mean, and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while t-test was employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that ICT instructional methods significantly improved students' academic achievement, t(2, 248) = 1338.933, p < .001, attitude toward mathematics, t( 2, 248) = 678.549, p < .003, retention of mathematical concepts, t(2, 248) = 541.620, p < .005, and classroom participation, t (2, 248) = 23.49, p < .004. The study concludes that ICT instructional methods provide a more effective approach to mathematics instruction than the conventional teaching method. It recommends increased investment in ICT infrastructure, regular professional development for mathematics teachers, and wider integration of ICT into classroom-instruction