Abstract:

This study examined the effect of the Van Hiele instructional model on senior secondary students’ retention in geometry in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design using a non-equivalent group pretest–posttest control group structure. A total of 80 students drawn from co-educational secondary schools participated in the study. Intact classes were assigned to either the experimental group, which received instruction using the Van Hiele model, or the control group, which was taught using the conventional teaching approach. Data were collected using the Geometry Achievement Test (GAT), which had a reliability coefficient of 0.80 determined using the Kuder–Richardson 20 method. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance, with post-test scores used as covariate. Results revealed a statistically significant difference in retention scores in favour of students taught using the Van Hiele instructional model compared to those taught using the conventional approach. The findings further indicated that although a slight overall gender difference was observed, there was no significant interaction effect between instructional method and gender. This suggests that the Van Hiele model was equally effective for both male and female students. The study highlights the effectiveness of the Van Hiele instructional model in promoting meaningful retention of geometric concepts. It therefore recommends the integration of the model into secondary school mathematics instruction and the provision of professional development programmes to equip teachers with the skills required for its effective implementation.

Keywords:

Gender, geometry, instructional strategies, retention, secondary education, Van Hiele model.