GRAPH BOARD UTILIZATION AND JUNIOR SECONDARY STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN GRAPHICAL SOLUTION OF LINEAR EQUATIONS IN RIVERS STATE NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated graph board utilization and junior secondary students’ performance in graphical solution of linear equations. The study had three objectives. Quasi experimental design which presented two experimental groups and one control group was used. Purposive sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 163 students from a population of 5,452 Junior Secondary two (JS 2) students in public junior secondary schools in Obio Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State Nigeria. Instrument used to collect data was Linear Graph Achievement Test which was of the multiple-choice type. The 25-item LGAT was validated by experts and had a reliability index of 0.82. Analysis of data was done using mean, standard deviation and Analysis of Covariance statistical tool at 0.05 significant level. The result showed that the use of graph board combined with the use of graph paper was more effective for the teaching of graphing concepts related to linear equation than the use of graph board only or use of graph paper only. The result also showed that there was a significant difference between students’ performance in graphical solution of linear equation when taught with graph board combined with the use of graph paper and when taught with either graph board only or graph paper only. Based on the findings it was recommended that mathematics teachers should teach students graphing concepts with a combination of graph board and graph paper.