The effect of behavioural objectives used as advance organizers on senior secondary students’ mathematics achievement

Abstract

Behavioural objectives were used as advance organizers to teach some senior secondary school year two (SSS 2) mathematics topics. The study adopted a pretest, posttest control group quasi experimental design. Ninety SSS 2 students from two purposively selected senior secondary schools, who were the participants, responded to the researcher developed and validated mathematics achievement test (MAT), the research instrument. The t-test of significance was the main statistical tool used for data analysis. The experimental class which received the advance organizers obtained mean posttest score which was significantly higher than the mean posttest score of the control class. Results revealed that the use of behavioural objectives as advance organizers is an effective strategy for teaching and learning mathematics. The strategy is also capable of improving students‟ mastery of content at the comprehension level than at the knowledge level of cognition. Based on the findings, the study recommended that behavioural objectives and other forms of advance organizers should be used by mathematics teachers to complement the teaching of mathematics at the secondary school level.

Keywords: advance organizers; behavioural objectives; mathematics instruction; students‟ achievement; knowledge level of cognition; comprehension level of cognition