The effect of three-tier teaching model for teaching mathematics in context on primary school pupils' performance in fractions: cases of cape coast metropolis and Mfantsiman municipality

Abstract

Teaching in context in this study is an innovative way ofteaching mathematics that relates the abstract mathematical concepts that teachers teach in schools to the learners' everyday realities. The three-tier teaching model for teaching mathematics in context is an innovative way ofteaching mathematics in context. This study investigated the effect of the three-tier teaching model for teaching mathematics in context on primary one pupils' performance in fractions in two selected districts in the Central Region ofGhana. The study drew on socio-cultural theory and ethnomathematics as its main theories. This study's research design was sequential explanatory mixed methods including quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design. A multistage sampling technique was used. Pupils' Identification of Fraction Worksheet; pretest and posttest were used to collect quantitative data from 860 primary one pupils from the 24 selected public schools, with 12 primary schools from each district. Twenty-four primary one mathematics teachers with each teacher from each school participated in the study. The semi-structured 'Interview Guide for Teachers' perception about the use of the model for teaching mathematics in context' was used to collect the qualitative data. The quantitative data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis followed by narrative discussion. The analysis ofresults indicated that the model's approach was more effective in improving pupils' performance in the identification of fractions. The model should be used as an innovative teaching approach for teaching fractions in context by all primary one mathematics teachers.