Comparative Effect of Collaborative and Traditional Learning Strategies on Senior High School Students’ Performance in Circle Theorems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46328/ijses.5523Keywords:
Collaborative learning, Traditional learning strategy, Circle theorems, Mathematics achievement, Senior high school, GhanaAbstract
This study examined the comparative effects of collaborative learning and the traditional learning strategy on senior high school students’ performance in circle theorems. The motivation stemmed from persistent concerns about low achievement in geometry among Ghanaian students, often attributed to reliance on teacher-centered instructional approaches. Guided by the principles of social constructivism, the study adopted a quantitative paradigm with a quasi-experimental design. Two intact classes were purposively selected from Senior High School B and Senior High School A. In total, 152 students participated, comprising 76 in the experimental groups (collaborative learning) and 76 in the control groups (traditional lecture method). A researcher-designed test consisting of 20 multiple-choice items on circle theorems served as the data collection instrument. Independent samples t-tests were employed to compare post-test scores. The findings revealed that students exposed to collaborative learning significantly outperformed their counterparts taught with the traditional method, suggesting that collaborative approaches promote deeper conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills in geometry. The study concludes that collaborative learning is a more effective instructional strategy for teaching circle theorems at the senior high school level. It recommends that mathematics teachers integrate structured peer interactions into classroom instruction to enhance learning outcomes.
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