Effect Of Discovery Method In Teaching And Learning Mathematics

Effect Of Discovery Method (Inductive Method)In Teaching And Learning Of Mathematics In Senior Secondary School
ABSTRACT
Discovery method is a component of educational practice that covers teaching methods that promote the way of active learning, process oriented, self-directed. One of the methods that have been widely used in advanced schools is discovery method. The discovery technique is a translation of discovery. There is influence of discovery learning method toward the mathematics learning result of senior secondary school students. This is seen from the results of the students’ learning taught by discovery learning method is better than the results of students’ learning taught by expository.
CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Discovery learning method is a method of learning that focuses on the students’ activity in learning. In this method, the teacher is not only the manager in the class, but moreover the teacher acts as a mentor and facilitator who direct the students in building their own knowledge by giving the problems to be solved through scientific steps. According to Suryosubroto (2009:
178) “Discovery method is a component of educational practice that covers teaching methods that promote the way of active learning, process oriented, self-directed, self-seeking, and relative” so that the learning which is done by self-finding, self-investigating, it will last long in students’ memory. The method that recently most used in advanced schools is the discovery method. Learning by using this discovery method is one way that can make the students more active, creative and understand the material and solve the problems that related to the material of space building surface. By finding out themselves the results obtained by the students will last long in memory.
The success of this discovery learning method is in line with the success of discovery learning method implementation in the previous research results by (Yani, 2012: 46) that “the completeness of the student learning outcomes in class Senior secondary school studentswith the application of discovery gained satisfactory results”. In addition, the success of discovery learning method is also in line with the success of the research conducted by Supriyanto (2014) who concluded that the application of discovery learning can improve the learning outcomes
Mathematics is one of the subjects taught in secondary schools in Nigeria. Remembering the importance of the mathematics role in everyday life, especially with regard to the development of science and technology and industrial development, the mathematical role cannot be denied anymore by every student who is required to master mathematics which is a very important lesson in primary school learning. Mathematics needs to be given to the students from primary school to equip the students with logical, analytical, systematic, critical and creative thinking skills, as well as the ability to work together. Such competencies are necessary so that the students can have the ability to acquire, manage and utilize information to survive in an ever- changing, uncertain and competitive state. In addition, it is also intended to develop the ability to use mathematics in solving the problem and conveying ideas by using appropriate learning methods.
According to Subarinah (2006: 1), mathematics is a science that studies the abstract structures and patterns of relationships that exist in it. The abstract structure in mathematics lessons is still difficult to learn by primary school students, because the stage of thinking is still not formal and still concrete.
Statement of the Problems

Mathematics is one of the subjects that have an important role in achieving educational goals, because mathematics is a subject that equips the students to think logically, analytically, systematically, critically and creatively. The success of mathematics learning in the classroom is closely related to the teacher’s personality, therefore in the implementation, the teacher is required to have the skills, ductility, and open attitude to the students. Besides that, the teacher is also expected to have the ability to create more active and creative teaching learning situations, encouraging and motivating the students to learn. But the reality in the field, the mathematics learning outcomes in primary school is still low. Various factors that cause low mathematics learning outcomes are the students are still passive in the learning process which means the teacher has not involved the students actively in the learning process. In addition, one of the factors that causes the students’ learning outcomes is low in mathematics is due to teaching method and motivation provided by the teacher is less relevant to the students’ characteristics. At the time of teaching-learning process takes place, the teachers tend to dominate the learning activities, the teachers become the main source of the students’ learning activities, and the activity of the students is less paid attention. The teachers also do not emphasize on the students to reason, see the relevance of the subject matter, communicate and solve the problems, so there is no time for students to develop effective learning strategies. In the learning process, the teachers tend to write on the board and the students record what is delivered. The students’ learning creativity tends to listen to the teacher’s explanations and record them, and then the teacher gives the exercises with the aim that the students more understand the material that has just been delivered.
Based on the results of preliminary observation conducted in some selected schools in Jos, it is seen that in teaching mathematics, the teachers have tried to apply some learning methods such as lectures, assignments, discussions, question and answer and there is no learning media used in the learning. This causes the students feel bored, not interested in the learning or the students’ learning motivation becomes low, and the students will more quickly forget the learning materials that has just been learned.

Objectives of the Study
The main objectives of this study is on the effect of discovery method (inductive method)in teaching and learning of mathematics in senior secondary school.
The specific objectives are:

to examine students motivation in using discovery methods in teaching and learning mathematics
to investigate the effect of Discovery Method on the Students’ Math Learning Results

Research Questions

Does students get motivated in using discovery methods in teaching and learning mathematics?
Does method used in teaching mathematics has any significant effect on students performance?

Significance of the Study

The relevance of research in any field of human endeavor cannot be over emphasized. As the contemporary world is filled with range of choices and alternatives, research will help in making rational choice that will conform with principle of optimality.

Curriculum planners in mathematics education may incorporate the varying results generated from similar studies to set up a programme that will address the pressing needs of the society.
The result of the findings may also be used by education planners in deciding where to locate or site a school so as to ensure equitable or even opportunity to education.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The enormity of the task of undertaking research of this type coupled with financial constrains and time factor forced the researcher to limit the work to only one state i.e. Kano State.

Even in the state, only public senior secondary schools in Kano central senatorial zone were considered. Moreover the work is narrowed to only four mathematics topics in secondary school mathematics. (Indices and logarithm, Pythagoras’ theorem, area of triangles and volumes of cone and cylinder). No aspect of applied mathematics is considered. Moreover the data gathering technique would be teacher made achievement test i.e. Pre-test and Post-test.
Hence the findings and the conclusions generated from this study could be more applicable to the participating students and possibly to the participating schools and should equally be limited to the four mathematics topics considered