The effect of using educational aids and information technology to improve mathematics learning in secondary school students

Seyedaliyan, S. M.; Salehi, K.

doi:10.22061/tej.2021.6700.2450

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

Department of Education, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22061/tej.2021.6700.2450

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Knowledge and skill in mathematics are considered as one of the most essential individual skills for living in modern societies. For this reason, mathematics is seen as a major discipline in education. One of the problems in the field of education today is the decrease in students' interest in learning, especially in subjects such as mathematics. Despite its wide range of applications, mathematics and mathematical thinking are considered as complex around the world, and teaching mathematics is often a difficult task. Many students avoid mathematics or show their true ability in mathematics less than usual, so the study of factors affecting the learning of mathematics in recent decades has attracted the attention of many experts and educators. Due to the lack of studies in our country Iran and the importance of educational materials and their effects, making a comparison between traditional teaching method and the method based on the use of technology and teaching aids was necessary to examine its impact on improving the learning of math students in high school. Therefore, the main hypothesis of this study is based on the principle that the use of teaching aids is effective in learning mathematics better.
Methods: For this purpose, a study with a quantitative approach, using quasi-experimental method and pre-test-post-test design with a control group was used. The statistical population includes all high school students in Mahdi Shahr city from Semnan province .Thrity-three female students in grade 12 whose field of study was mathematics were selected and assigned randomly into two experimental and controlled groups. Data collection was done using a teacher-made achievement test with validity and reliability considerations. After validation of the intervention protocol, the training program was performed on the experimental group in 12 sessions of 2 hours per week using teaching aids.
Findings: Multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA & ANCOVA) were used to analyze the data. The results showed that teaching mathematics with the help of teaching aids and using information technology had a significant effect on students' learning rate. The groups were almost identical before applying the independent variable, but after the experimental period, there was a significant difference between their scores which could be related to the teaching method (p<0.05). The squared value of the obtained ETA shows that 71% of the variance of the dependent variable is derived from the independent variable. Supplementary studies showed that at the level of individual courses, the difference related to the topics of conic sections and circles is significant (p < 0.01). This means that the post-test scores of conical and circular sections in the experimental group were significantly higher than the control group, which indicates the positive effect of the intervention program. Also, according to the ETA squared scores, it can be said that in the test of conical sections 29% and in the test of circle 66% of the changes are due to the effect of the teaching program with the help of teaching aids and information technology.
Conclusions: Overall, the findings showed that teaching with the help of ICTs can improve the learning process and achievement in mathematics by facilitating the transfer of lessons, improving the learning process and its sustainability, enhancing learning motivation, improving the grades and problem-solving skills. This program can be used as a useful and effective intervention for improving the learning of mathematics.

Keywords

20.1001.1.20080441.1400.15.4.6.7

Main Subjects

e-learning

COPYRIGHTS
©2021 The author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, as long as the original authors and source are cited. No permission is required from the authors or the publishers.

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