IMPACT OF BRAIN-BASED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY AND MATHEMATICS ANXIETY ON STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE TO SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS.

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of brain-based instructional strategy
and mathematics anxiety on students’ attitude to Senior Secondary
School Mathematics. A pre-test, post-test, control group quasiexperimental design was adopted with a 2 x 3 x 2 factorial matrix. The
sample size was 522 Senior Secondary School II Students from nine
randomly selected schools in Oyo State, Nigeria. Five schools were
randomly assigned to the experimental group (Brain-Based Instructional
Strategy – BBIS), while four schools were assigned to the control group
(Non-Brain-Based Instructional Strategy – NBBIS). The instruments
were: Mathematics Attitude Questionnaire (r = 0.83), Cognitive Style
Test (r = 0.81), Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (r = 0.81). One
research question and one hypothesis guided the study. Data obtained
from the research question were analyzed using mean scores and
standard deviation. The hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of
significance using the Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA).
Brain-based instructional strategy was more effective at
improving students’ attitude towards Mathematics than the
conventional method. Teachers of Mathematics could, therefore, adopt
this strategy for teaching secondary school students. This would go a
long way in reducing fear, test-phobia and undesirable attitude in
Mathematics among students. It would also boost the interest of the
Mathematics teachers in teaching the subject without stress.