Effect of Maple Sketchpad Software on Gender Achievement and Retention in Algebra in Calabar Education Zone

Abstract

The study investigated the effect of maple sketchpad software package on secondary school 
students’ achievement and retention in Algebra in Calabar Education Zone. Two research 
questions guided the study and two null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. 
The design of the study was quasi-experimental design. The specific design was the pretest 
posttest nonequivalent control group design. The study was carried out among secondary 
schools in Calabar Education Zone of Cross River State. The population for the study consisted 
of 1,553 Mathematics students in the senior secondary two in the study area. The sample size 
was 306 drawn from Calabar Education Zone. The instrument for data collection was 
Algebraic Achievement Test (AAT). AAT was face validated by three experts in the Department 
of Education Foundation. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was determined to be 
0.83 using Kuder – Richardson Formula (K-R 20). The subjects were pretested before the 
treatment and the posttest was administered after the treatment, while the retention test was 
administered three weeks after the termination of the treatments. The data collected were 
analyzed using the mean, standard deviation and ANCOVA. The findings of the study showed 
that students who were instructed and taught using Maple sketchpad performed better and 
retained more than those taught using conventional method. It was also discovered that no 
particular gender was favored more by the treatment. Based on the findings of the student, it 
was recommended that secondary school Mathematics teachers should be given training on 
maple sketchpad so that they can use it while teaching. Also, seminars and workshops should 
be organized for serving teachers so as to acquaint them with the skill of maple sketchpad.