Construction of Diagnostic Tests and Guidelines on Remediation of Deficiencies in learning Mathematics on the Topic of Matrix for Matthayomsueksa 4 Students

Abstract

         This research aimed to explore the deficiencies in learning mathematics on the topic of Matrix for Matthayomsueksa 4 students, to construct tests to diagnose the deficiencies in learning, and study guidelines on remediation. The population of this research consisted of 2,748 Matthayomsueksa 4 students and 5 teachers in secondary schools in the 2^nd semester of the academic year 2016. They were from 74 classes in 25 schools under the Secondary Education Service Area Office 21, Bueng Kan. The research was divided into 2 phases: 1) constructing and verifying the quality of the diagnostic tests to diagnose the sample group of 300 Matthayomsueksa 4 students, obtained through multi-stage random sampling. The instruments used consisted of 3 exploratory tests to find deficiencies, and 3 diagnostic tests; 2) studying guidelines onremediation in learning mathematics. The sample, obtained through purposive sampling, comprised 5 teachers knowledgeable and specialized in mathematics, and 10 Matthayomsueksa 4 students from Bueng Kan School, Muang Bueng Kan District, Bueng Kan Province. The research instrument was a semi-structure interview. The statistics employed in the analysis of data were percentage, the mean and standard deviation.

The results were as follows:

1. The deficiencies found in learning mathematics on the topic of Matrix for Matthayomsueksa 4 students were: lack of understanding of addition, subtraction, multiplication, integer division, and being confused between row and principle of the Matrix, incorrect finding of Determinant of the Matrix, unable to find the Matrix Inverse, lack of understanding of linear equation using Gabrial Cramer an Augmented Matrix.


2. There were 3 diagnostic tests of the remediation in learning mathematics on the topic of Matrix for Matthayomsueksa 4 students. Test 1 consisted of 18 items of Matrix, with the difficulty ranging from 0.33 to 0.74, and the discrimination from 0.20 to 0.39. Test 2 consisted of 7 items of Matrix Inverse with the difficulty ranging from 0.40 to 0.66, the discrimination from 0.25 to 0.55. And Test 3 consisted of 5 items of linear equation with the difficulty ranging from 0.40 to 0.47, and the discrimination from 0.40 to 0.58.


3. The guidelines on remediation of deficiencies in learning mathematics on the topic of Matrix for Matthayomsueksa 4 were as follows: the teacher must review the previous content before getting into the new lesson; the teacher must teach step by step from the easy content to the difficult; using songs to motivate or engage the students learning, using the symbol that represents the number in Matrix, in order to make it concrete; using group work for sharing and learning with classroom discussion, and providing remedial teaching for students who could not pass the criteria, to help them raise their achievement.