Abstract:
The study addressed the curriculum problem of the placement of the
teaching and learning of quadratic equation in the Senior High School. Its
purpose was to assess the ability of S.H.S 1 students to solve quadratic
equation by investigating their performance, using four methods.
Stratified sampling method was used to select four schools in four
districts in the Central Region. Eight classes were randomly selected for the
study. The sample size was 286 of which 160 were girls.
A pretest-posttest non-equivalent comparison group design was used.
Treatment group means scores on posttest were compared with their respective
mean scores on the pretest. The posttest scores were also used to compare the
effectiveness of the methods. The t-test and analysis of covariance (Ancova)
were used in the analysis.
The students performed significantly better in the posttest than the
pretest. The quadratic formula proved significantly superior to the other
methods. Conjugales, factorization and equivalent simultaneous linear
equation followed in that order with respect to solving quadratic equation in
S.H.S 1. It was concluded that the solution of quadratic equation can be taught
effectively in Form One and that the quadratic formula seems to be the best
method.
Based on the findings, it was recommended that present core
mathematics syllabus should be revised so that quadratic equations would be
taught in Form 1 of the S.H.S 1 and also the novel methods - conjugales and
equivalent simultaneous linear equation should be included in the S.H.S
mathematics curriculum as alternative methods of solving quadratic equations.
