A Comparison of Learning Achievement, Problem-Solving Abilities, and Satisfactions towards Mathematics Learning of Prathomsuksa 6 Students Studying Square through Reordered Contents Approach and Conventional Approach

Abstract

Effective mathematics activities for mathematics learning strand merely
depend on a variety of techniques and teaching methods which are appropriate for
students in order that the teaching and learning mathematics can be effectively
developed. Reordered contents approach as mathematics learning activities are
assumed to be one of the ways to allow teaching of mathematics to reach the set
goals and be more effective. The study was aimed to compare Prathomsuksa 6
student’s mathematics achievements, problem-solving abilities, and satisfactions
towards the learning after studying a topic of square through reordered contents
approach and conventional approach. The sample consisted of 50 Prathomsuksa 6
students of Khonkaen Christian School, Muang district, Khonkaen province, in the
second semester of the academic year 2010. The Simple random sampling was
employed to frame an experimental group using reordered contents approach and a
control group using conventional approach, each of which included 25 students whom
were drawn from the two classrooms. Four research instruments were employed: (1)
two types of lesson plans, each of which was composed of 17 one-hour-lessons about
a topic of square which were planned based on reordered contents approach and
conventional approach; (2) 40-item-mathematics achievement test with 4 multiple
choices on a topic of square for Prathomsuksa 6 students, with the item difficulty
power ranging from .25 to .78, the item discrimination power ranging from .21 to .68,
and the total reliability of .77; (3) 17-item-test for problem-solving abilities as a
subjective test with a total reliability of .68; and (4) 5-level-rating-scale with 15 items
for satisfactions toward mathematics learning, with the item discrimination power
ranging from .31 to .72 and the total reliability of .81. Statistics for data analyses
included mean, and standard deviation and one-way MANOVA was used to test
hypotheses.
The results were as follows:
The students taught about a topic of square by reordered contents
approach had higher mathematics achievement, problem-solving abilities and
satisfactions toward mathematics learning than the students taught by conventional
approach did at the .01 level of significance.
In conclusion, mathematics learning of a topic of square for Prathomsuksa 6
students taught reordered contents approach yielded better outcomes than those of
the conventional approach. Therefore, teachers and the persons concerned should
consider and apply the reordered contents approach to the teaching of a topic of
square and this approach should be widely used.