Effects Of Self-Directed Learning Instructional Strategy On Mathematics Achievement Of Students’ With Learning Disabilities In Calabar Municipality Of Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study adopted pretest -posttest control quasi experimental design to examine the effects of self directed learning instructional strategy    on   Mathematics achievement of     students’   with    learning   disabilities   in Calabar   Municipality    of Cross River State, Nigeria. Two research questions   were posed which   were translated   into two null hypotheses.

Simple random sampling   technique was used to select 4 schools out of 16   which a sample of 104    students with learning   disabilities were selected via Teacher nomination check list and school record   One   instruments titled “Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) was used as Pre-Test (PREMAT), and Post-Test (POSTMAT) was developed by the researcher and validated by experts was used for data collection. The reliability of the Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT), was established using Kuder-Richardson formula 20 (KR–20) after subjecting the instruments to a trial test of 20   students with learning disabilities   who are not part of the sample for the study but have relevant qualities as those in the study gives   an index of 83.  The research questions were answer   using descriptive    statistics(mean) and the hypotheses were tested using One Way Analysis of Covariance for two hypotheses at .05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that there is a significant difference between the mean Mathematics    achievement scores of students’ with learning disabilities   who were taught   using self irected   learning    and those taught with lecture method, also Male and female students do significantly differ in their mean mathematics academic score when taught   using self-directed learning.  It was therefore concluded that Mathematics achievement of   students with   learning disabilities    depend   on   self directed   learning well guided   by the teachers. Based on this, it was recommended amongst   others that  self   directed  learning strategy  should be adopted in  teaching    students with  learning   disabilities  in public secondary     schools   in order   to  enhance  their  academic achievement     in  Mathematics.