The Integration Of Hands-On Games In The Learning Of Probability: A Case Of Grade 12 Learners In The Oshakati Cluster Of Oshana Region

ABSTRACT

Although research and classroom experience have produced more publications based on teaching and learning of probability, there are still significant challenges regarding probability content and need for proper instructions to build learners’ existing notions and intuition of probability in order to foster formal probabilistic understanding (Dollard, 2011; Xiayan, 2015). Beside mathematics being a compulsory subject in the Namibian School curriculum since 2012, it is one of the requirements for admission to science and science related fields of study at institutions of higher education. Furthermore, the Ministry of Education’s reports (2013, 2014) on the Grade 12 examination indicate that learners studying mathematics at extended level find it difficult to answer questions on probability in Paper 4.

This study sought to investigate the effects of integrating hands-on games in the learning and their effects on the performance of Grade 12 extended mathematics learners in probability in Oshakati Cluster of Oshana region. The study used a quasi- experimental design. Fifty seven extended mathematics learners of Oshakati Cluster schools consented to and successfully participated in this study. The learners were randomly divided into an experimental and control group. Twenty seven learners formed the experimental group and 30 formed the control group. The interventions varied between the groups, with the experimental group experiencing the traditional teaching methods with the integration of hands-on games while the control group encountered the traditional teaching approach only.

Hands-on games on probability were developed to investigate the difference between the two groups that were given a pre-test and a post-test to measure their performance in

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mathematics. The experimental group means scores (average performance) on pre-test and post-test were 7.85 and 17.1 respectively while the control group had 8.20 and 13.1. This indicated significant differences in the performance of the experimental group on probability at the 0.05 significant level. Results of this study provide evidence that the integration of hands-on games in teaching and learning probability benefits students and enhances their performance on probability. This study might also enable mathematics educators and other education stakeholders to gain a better understanding of the need to use games in the teaching and learning of school subjects as a means of enhancing learners’ performance. Mathematics teachers are therefore encouraged to develop and correctly integrate hands-on games in their teaching in order to improve their learners’ performance in probability.