Effect of Problem-Solving Instructional Strategy on Performance in Mathematics among Senior Secondary School Students, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of a problem-solving instructional strategy on the mathematics

performance of senior secondary school students in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The study was

grounded in Constructivist Learning Theory as proposed by Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. A

quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test non-equivalent control group design was adopted. The

population comprised 42,121 senior secondary school students in public secondary schools in

Kaduna State, while a sample of 204 Senior Secondary II (SSII) students was selected using a

multi-stage sampling technique. The experimental group was taught mathematics using a

structured problem-solving instructional strategy based on Polya’s four-step model, whereas the

control group received instruction through the conventional lecture method. Data were collected

using the Mathematics Performance Test (MPT), which was validated by experts and yielded a

Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient of .918. Descriptive statistics and Analysis of Covariance

(ANCOVA) were used to analyse the data at the .05 level of significance. The findings revealed

that students exposed to the problem-solving strategy obtained a higher post-test mean score (M

= 74.78, SD = 8.59) than those taught using the conventional method (M = 65.67, SD = 10.15).

However, ANCOVA results indicated that the difference was not statistically significant after

controlling for pre-test scores, F(1, 130) = 0.269, p = .605, η² = .002. Pre-test scores significantly

predicted post-test performance, accounting for most of the variance in students’ achievement.

The study concluded that prior knowledge had a stronger influence on mathematics performance

than the instructional strategy employed. It was recommended that mathematics teachers should

strengthen students’ foundational knowledge and provide sustained exposure to learner-centred

instructional approaches such as problem-solving strategies.