Enhancing Students’ Performance in Senior High School Mathematics through the Learner-centered Approach: A Case in T. I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School, Wa, Ghana.

Enhancing Students’ Performance in Senior High School Mathematics through the Learner-centered Approach: A Case in T. I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School, Wa, Ghana

Mohammed Subouru Alhassan Bigson, Zulphata Bin Yussif
Department of Mathematics, T. I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School, P. O. Box 636, Wa Municipal, Ghana

Abstract
The study was about enhancing students’ performance in mathematics through the learner-centered method of teaching, with T. I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School, Wa as a case study. This led to the formulation of three specific objectives which were; to assess the performance of individual students through written class quizzes before and after taking lectures and demonstrations on a topic, to assess the performance of students through class quizzes before and after taking learning tasks and activities through instructional groups discussions and individual learning, and also to assess the views of teachers and students on both teaching and learning methods.
The first 80 students who reported to school to begin the first semester of the 2021 academic year, were selected to form the sample groups: ‘Form 1 and Form 2’. After undertaking lessons, the findings which were based on the marks scored by individual students in various class quizzes showed that, students scored higher marks after undertaking lessons through group discussions and that of individual learning activities, but scored lower marks after taking lessons through the lecture and demonstration method of learning. Discussions between the researchers and the respondents (students and teachers) revealed that, the learner-centered method of teaching was most preferred and better to enhance the performance of students, as compared to that of the traditional method (teacher-centered) of imparting knowledge. Even though the traditional method enables larger coverage of study content within a short time, it is a disadvantage to slow learners, but however favours the smart ones. At some point, using the mixed method (both teacher-centered and learner-centered) could enhance better results other than strictly sticking to one method. The study therefore recommended that; similar studies be undertaken in different institution and different subjects of study.

Keywords – Learner-centered, Teacher-centered

I. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Mathematics education has always been a keen area of relevance in every nation’s academic curricular, and therefore any parameter that could enhance its’ improvement should not be undermined. These parameters which include stakeholders such as education policy makers, education managements, teachers, and especially learners should play their various roles towards its’ improvement.
One of the keen reasons while mathematics education is of relevance, especially in the second cycle institutions is because, it prepares learners to cope with the continuous changing world through logical reasoning, critical thinking and other effective methods of problem identification and solving [1]. Aside enhancing the usual practice of teaching and learning in educational institutions, socio-economic and technological potentials in global market are also realized by learners [2].
In Ghana, mathematics education is compulsory from the first grade up to pre-tertiary level, and the content that runs it in the curricula at all levels are almost comparable to those run by other countries [3].
However, mathematics is seen not only as a difficult subject but also a boring one by most learners, especially when their (learners) participation is insignificant, which therefore results in low understanding and poor performance. Learners’ positive attitude in the study of mathematics as well as their performance in the subject could be influenced largely by the method of teaching. In most learning institutions, knowledge is passed on from a teacher (instructor) to learners (students) by the use of teaching and learning materials [4].
The teacher-centered approach, often referred as the ‘traditional approach or teacher knows it all’ [5], is the approach whereby the teacher submit knowledge to the learners (receivers/listeners). This approach focuses more on what the teacher knows other than the learners’ capability of knowing what should be learnt, and therefore learners have to pay serious attention to teachers as they pass knowledge to them.
Numerous researches have alluded that, the learner-centered approach of imparting knowledge is quiet better as compared to the traditional approach [5]. In this approach (learner-centered/student-centered), learners are explicitly focused on their conceptual understanding and collaboration in the learning process, while the teacher facilitate the learning process [6]. Learners exposed to this type of instruction are invested with confidence which further enables them to actively participate significantly in the learning process by asking more questions, sharing their own ideas and information they generate out of their own comparison.

1.2 Statement of the problem

In Ghana, passing mathematics is key requirement for gaining admission to pursue any kind of program in the higher institution, pursuant to which, most high school graduates have been rejected due to their inability to pass in mathematics and/or in other relevant subjects. Most of these applicants are usually those who possess senior high school certificate as a highest credential, especially the immediate graduates from senior high schools. It is therefore necessary to focus on both teaching and learning approaches that will enhance performance in critical subjects like mathematics at this level (S.H.S).
Although teachers have been trained with educational curricula which recommends the use of learner-centered approach of teaching [7], most teachers still use the traditional teacher-centered approach due to factors such as; covering a large aspect within a short time, inadequate textbooks, and easy approach to introducing new knowledge.

Read More