Effects of Mastery Learning Strategy on Mathematical Competence among Secondary School Students in Kenya

Effects of Mastery Learning Strategy on Mathematical Competence among Secondary School Students in Kenya

 Mary Mulungye, Prof. Henry Embeywa, Dr Collins Ogogo
Machakos University, Nairobi, Machakos, Kenya
Received: 21 February 2023; Revised: 10 March 2023; Accepted: 16 March 2023; Published: 19 April 2023

Abstract: – Despite the fact that Mathematics is considered as a vital subject that supports the development of critical and logical thinking., majority of students across the world dislike mathematics and stay away from many careers related to Mathematics. The students’ lack of interest for mathematics could be attributed to poor quality of instruction and the instructional method deployed but not lack of ability to learn. The purpose of the study was to establish the effect of Mastery Learning Strategy on Mathematical Competence among Secondary School Students in Machakos Sub-County Kenya. The objective of the study was to investigate the impact of mastery learning strategy on improving the students’ mathematical competencies. To achieve the objective a sample of one hundred and fifty four (154) form two students from two schools were randomly placed into either the group taught by using Mastery Learning Strategy (MLS), the experimental group or those taught using Conventional Group Learning (CGL), the control group. The two groups were subjected to a competence test before and after the intervention of MLS. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test whether the two groups’ level of competence test achievement in Mathematics, differed significantly at significance level. The analysis of variance indicated that the mean score difference was significant at as evident by the Fishers ratio and p-value of  F=12.334>F_0.05,1,152=3.90 and ( Pr⁡= 0.023<0.05 )respectively. Therefore, the MLS was recommended for improved competence performance. The study recommended a replication of the research to another region and respondents to ascertain the validity and reliability of the findings.

Key Words: Mastery, learning strategy, competence test achievement, mathematical competence

I. Introduction

Mathematics though a vital subject is in most cases poorly done and most students dislike it. Despite, the daily needs and the roles played by mathematics in the society, there has been persistent poor performance in the subject worldwide. In United States of America for example, the Program for International Students’ Assessment (PISA), reported that students were graded beneath average in mathematics (Ginsburg, Leiwand, Noell & Pollock, 2009). In Africa, poor performance has also been registered in Mathematics at all levels of education with South Africa, Ghana, Morocco, and Botswana, students ranked below average in 2010 and 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science study. Countries like Nigeria have reported a high failure rate in mathematics (Tukur, 2018). Needless to mention that in Kenya mathematics performance in the national examination is still wanting. The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) reported a pass rate of 24.6% and 26.8% in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Kenya is divided into counties and Machakos County, where the researcher was conducting the study, is one of the forty-seven counties in Kenya. In this county, that is, Machakos County in Machakos sub-county the situation is not different. The failure rate in mathematics is on average 75.4% meaning a pass rate of 24.6% between the year 2017 and 2021 as indicated in table 1 below.

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