Abstract:

This research investigated the effect of game based learning on the achievement of students in trigonometry. Two research questions and three hypotheses were developed to guide the study. The study employed a quasi-experimental design specifically a pretest-posttest design. The population of the study consisted of 3,831 senior students in class two (SS 2) from Udenu Local Government Area in Enugu State. The study sample consisted of 192 subjects. The multi-stage sampling procedure was employed. Four SS 2 classes in schools selected were assigned to experimental and control groups with a flip of a coin. The groups received a pretest and a posttest that lasted for 4 weeks. The instrument used for data collection was the Trigonometry Achievement Test (TAT). The instruments had reliability estimates of 0.81. The data collected were subjected to analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions whereas the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypothesis at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings show that there exists a significant difference in the mean achievement scores of students taught trigonometry using game based learning and those taught the same concept using the conventional method. Results further revealed that gender does not influence the mean achievement scores of students taught trigonometry using game based learning. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that mathematics teachers, as well as students, should be open to game based learning as a measure for improving students’ achievement in mathematics, especially in trigonometry.

Keywords:

Achievement, game based learning, gender, secondary school students, trigonometry.