European Journal of Scientific Research - EuroJournals

Effect of Mathematical Games on Nigerian Students’ Performance in Mathematics in
Secondary Schools in Port Harcourt Metropolis 258
The pretest questions were administered to the two groups first, before teaching took place.
This helped the researcher determine the equivalence of the groups. The experimental group was taught
using the lesson plan prepared with mathematical games.
In the course of the teaching, “Card games” were given to the students to play and study with in
groups of “five”. After this, the posttest item consisting of twenty objective questions was
administered. The control group was taught using traditional method without games.
The posttest consists of a 20-item test, based on simple equation. This was administered to the 2
groups used for the study. The scores obtained enabled the determination of any difference in the
achievement of students exposed to mathematical games and those not. This posttest instrument was a
parallel form of the pretest instrument. (i.e similar in content). According to Mehrens and Lehman
(1973) two parallel tests can be used in order to reduce the memory effects of the students.
The reliability of the tests (pretest and posttest) were also computed using a pilot group of 40
students from the Federal Government Girls College, Abuloma – a subset of the population. Using
Kuder – Richardson Estimates formula, the reliability of the pretest was estimated to be rxx = 0.9 while
the reliability of the posttest was estimated to be ryy=0.8. For the reliability of the whole test, Peason
Product Correlation Coefficient was r½x½y =0.70. Spearman Brown Prophesy Formula was applied as a
correction factor and the reliability coefficient of 0.82 was obtained for the whole test. (Thorndike,
1971). From the obtained value one could predict that a person with a comparatively high score in the
pretests would also score high in the posttest and vise versa all variables remaining constant.
Data Analysis
Descriptive statistics was used for research questions 1 to 4 and this involved computation of means
standard deviation and variance of the scores.
For Hypotheses Testing, Inferential statistics was applied using Non-Independent t-test
statistics for Ho1 and Ho2, also used was simple Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for Ho3, and Ho4.
Research Question i
Is there any difference between the pretest scores and posttest scores of students in the experimental
group within each school?
Table 1: pretest/posttest means scores/standard deviation of students within each school
Experimental group School 1 School 2 School 3
Pretest X =6.2 SD =2.5 X =4.0 SD =1.8 X =7.0 SD =3.5
Posttest X =10 SD =2.8 X =8 SD =2.1 X =11 SD =3.5
Diff. in means 4.2 4.0 4.0
The experimental group in school 1 had a pretest mean score ( X ) of 6.2 and Standard deviation
(SD) of 2.5 and post test mean score of 10 and standard deviation of 2.8. Difference in the mean score
is 4.2.
The experimental group of school 2 had a pretest mean score ( X ) of 4.0 and standard deviation
(SD) of 1.8 and post test mean score of 8.0 and standard deviation of 2.1. The difference in the mean
score is 4.0
The experimental group of school 3 had a pretest mean score ( X ) of 7.0 and standard deviation
(SD) of 3.5 and posttest mean score of 3.5. The difference in the mean score is 4.0. In each of the
schools, using pretest means score as the basis of comparison there was an increase in the students’
posttest scores.