Effect of Peer Mediated Instruction On The Academic Achievement of Students in Algebra PDF

EFFECT OF PEER MEDIATED INSTRUCTION ON
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF STUDENTS IN

ALGEBRA
BY
EKE HENRY
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION

DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY,
ABRAKA
JULY, 2012.
EFFECT OF PEER MEDIATED INSTRUCTION ON

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF STUDENTS IN
ALGEBRA
BY
EKE, HENRY
PG/08/09/152014
B.Sc (Ed) Maths, UNN
Dissertation Submitted to the Postgraduate School

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Award of Degree of Master in Education (M. Ed) in
Mathematics of the Delta State University, Abraka.
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION

DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY, ABRAKA
JULY, 2012.
ii
CERTIFICATION
I, Eke, Henry a Post-graduate student in Department of Science
Education, Delta State University, Abraka, with registration
number PG/08/09/152014
has satisfactorily fulfilled the
requirements for the award of masters degree in Education with

specialization in Mathematics Education. The work embodied in
this thesis is the original and has not been submitted in part or
in full for any other diploma or degree of this University or any
other University.
___________________________
Eke Henry
_______________________
Date
iii
APPROVAL PAGE
This dissertation has been approved by the Department of
Science Education, Delta State University, Abraka, for the
award of the M.ED Degree in mathematics.
BY
___________________________
Dr. U. L. Ezenweani
Supervisor
_______________________
Date
__________________________
Prof. Emperor Kpangban
Head of Department
_______________________
Date
___________________________
Prof. P.O. Ikoya
Dean of Faculty
_______________________
Date
___________________________
Dr. P. O. Ajaja
Internal Examiner
__________________________
Prof. U. N. V. Agwagah
External Examiner
_______________________
Date
_______________________
Date
iv
DEDICATION
This work is especially dedicated to my beloved wife Mrs.
Roseline Eke and our children Mercy, Joy and Miracle.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work could not have been successful without the help
of the almighty God who granted me great favor before
everybody I came in contact with throughout this program of
study. To God be the Glory.
I wish to express my gratitude to my able and dynamic
supervisor, Dr U.L. Ezenweani for his patience, guidance and
direction throughout this work. My gratitude also goes to Dr
P.O. Ajaja for his valuable contributions, useful criticism and
corrections which led to the success of this work. I equally owe
a lot of thanks to my lecturers at Delta State University,
Abraka. Few names however deserve special mention. They are
Professors N.S. Okoye, Emperor Kpangban and E.A. Iniomesa.
Others are Dr T.E. Agboghoruma, Dr Mrs. M.O. Mokobia, Dr
(Mrs.) R.J. Musa, and Dr (Mrs.) J.I Adjekpovu
I wish to appreciate the Executive Chairman, Post Primary
Education Board Asaba for granting me study leave with pay for
this fulltime program of study.
vi
I also wish to thank the principals, staff, students and

particularly the research assistants of the schools used for the
study for their concern and cooperation throughout the period
of the field work in their schools.
I also acknowledge with thanks the member of Christ Air
Force Ministry, Kwale for their prayers that successfully saw me
through this program of study. I shall not fail to remember my
friends Mr. Oghobe Anthony, Pastor Ofumaduadike Mike and
Pastor
Malagu
Festus
for
their
constant
prayers
and
encouragement throughout the period of my study. Finally, I

appreciate my dear wife, Mrs. Roseline Eke for her prayers and
financial contributions. I equally appreciate my children, Mercy
Joy and Miracle who accepted my continuous absence, missed
my company and for most part of the duration of this study.
Eke, Henry
vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Certification
iii
Approval Page -
iv
Dedication
Acknowledgements -
vi
Table of Contents
viii
List of Tables
xi
List of Figures Abstract
xiii
xiv
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study -
Statement of Problem
11
Research Questions -
12
Research Hypotheses
13
Purpose of the Study
14
Significance of the Study -
Scope and Delimitation of the Study

Limitations of the Study
15
-
16
16
Operational Definition of Terms-
17
viii
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Theoretical Framework of the study -
19
Peer Mediated Instruction -
24
31
39
Teaching of Algebra in Nigerian Schools
Application of Peer Mediated Instruction in

Teaching Algebra
Empirical Studies on Achievement of Students in

Algebra
Appraisal of the Review
42
46
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURE

Design of the Study -
49
Population of the Study
51
Sample and Sampling Procedure
51
Research Instrument
52
Treatment Procedure-
Method of Data Analysis -
55
-
57
ix
CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Discussion of Research Questions -
Testing of Research Hypotheses
Discussion of Results
CHAPTER
SUMMARY
FIVE:
58
63
- 78
CONCLUSION
AND
RECOMMENDATION
Summary of the Study
Conclusion -
Contributions to Knowledge - Recommendations
84
88
90
Suggestions for Further Studies-
91
References
93
101
Appendix B: Algebra Achievement Test (AAT)
114
Appendix C: Reliability Coefficient of AAT -
124
90
Appendix A: Lesson notes for Teachers
Appendix D: Test of Assumption of Homogeneity of

Regression
127
Appendix E: Pre-test and Post Test Data Collected from Algebra

Achievement Test
130
LIST OF TABLES
Table I: Variable Matrix Design for Algebra Achievement
Of School Location by Gender -
50
Table II: Test Blue print for SS1 Algebra Achievement

Test -
54
Table III: Post-test mean achievement scores of

PMI and self directed study groups in Algebra -
- - 58
Table IV: Post-test Mean Achievement Scores and Standard

Deviation of Urban and Rural PMI students in Algebra - - 59
Table V: Post-test Mean Achievement Scores and Standard
Deviation of Male and Female PMI Students in Algebra
- 60
Table VI: Post-test Mean Achievement scores and standard

deviation of subjects by method and gender -
61
Table VII: Post-test Mean Achievement Scores and standard

deviation of subjects by method and school location - -
62
xi
Table VIII: One-Way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) of

Posttest scores of Students exposed to peer- mediated
instruction and those exposed to self directed study -
63
Table IX: Estimated Marginal Means of the Experimental and

control groups -
- -
64
Table X: One-Way ANCOVA table of posttest mean

achievement scores of Urban and Rural PMI Students - -
66
Table XI: Estimated Marginal Means of urban and rural PMI

Students
--
--
67
Table XII: One-Way ANCOVA of posttest mean achievement

scores of male and female PMI Students -
69
Table XIII: Estimated Marginal Means of male and female PMI

students -
--
69
Table XIV: Two-Way ANCOVA table of subjects scores in AAT

showing interaction of method and Gender -
72
Table XV: Estimated Marginal Means showing the interaction of

Teaching Methods and Gender -
73
Table XVI: Two-Way ANCOVA Table of subjects scores in AAT

showing interaction of method and school location -
75
xii
Table XVII: Estimated Marginal Means showing the interaction

of Teaching Methods and School Location -
76
Table XVIII: ANCOVA Test for Homogeneity of Regression - 127
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Estimated marginal means of algebra test score for the
two teaching methods -
65
Figure 2: Estimated marginal means of algebra test score for

urban and rural PMI students -
68
Figure 3: Estimated marginal means of algebra test score for

male and female PMI students
71
Figure 4: Estimated marginal means of algebra test score

showing the interaction of teaching methods and Gender - 74
Figure 5: Estimated marginal means of algebra test score
showing the interaction of teaching methods and school
location -
77
Figure 6: Graph showing the linear relationship between the

covariate and the dependent variable -
129
xiii
ABSTRACT
This study investigated the effects of peer mediated instruction (PMI) on the
academic achievement of students in algebra in Delta North Senatorial
District of Delta State. This study was necessitated by the poor achievement
of senior secondary school students in mathematics. Five research questions
and five null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study
employed a non equivalent control group quasi experimental design. A sample
of 192 SSI students drawn from six mixed senior Secondary schools was used
for the study. Data was collected using a 30 item Algebra Achievement Test
drawn from WAEC past questions. The Kuder-Richardson 20 formula was
used to establish the reliability coefficient which was found to be 0.71. Data
was analyzed using mean, standard deviation and analysis of Covariance
(ANCOVA) at a significant - level of 0.05. The findings of the study show
that the use of PMI is found to be more effective than the self directed study
group. The results also show that there was no significant difference between
the achievement of both the male and female and urban and rural students
exposed to PMI technique. The results also confirm that while there was no
significant interaction effect between methods by Gender there was a
significant interaction effect between methods by School Location. Based on
the findings, it was recommended that teachers should apply PMI technique
as an effective strategy in teaching algebra in senior secondary schools.
xiv
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
The National Policy on Education (FRN, 1998) and
revised (2004) made Mathematics so important that every
child must study it for six years in primary school, three years
in Junior Secondary School and three years in Senior
Secondary School. Mathematics is a subject that affects all
aspects of human life in different degrees. The socio economic,
political, geographical scientific and technological aspect of
man is centered on numbers (Malik, Ngban and Ibu, 2009).
In Nigeria, mathematics taught in schools include:
Arithmetic, Geometry, Trigonometry, Algebra and Statistics.
Ukeje (1997) remarked that without mathematics there is no
science, without science there is no modern technology and
without modern technology there is no modern society. This
statement implies that mathematics is a strong factor to
societal building and development. Its indispensability is often
encountered in the contribution of mathematics contents in
the studies of science and technology courses mostly at the
1
higher level of education. Mathematics occupies a central

place in the scientific and technological development of any
nation. Yet the teaching and learning of the subject, at the
secondary school does not reflect the commitment and
seriousness that teachers and students ought to show in the
teaching learning process. The performance of students in
mathematics has proved that the teaching of the subject is
below
expectation.
No
wonder
teachers
parents
and
government are worried about the situation. Available data at

the WAEC office in Ghana for May/June Senior Secondary
Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted in Nigeria between
2004 and 2006 revealed that only 32% - 42% of the candidates
passed mathematics at credit level.
Numerous complaints such as one by Elekwa (1996)
over the poor level of students achievement in mathematics in
our secondary schools aroused my concern and interest to
look into some ways of ameliorating the problem of poor
performance.
According to Adeleke (2007) the performance of students
in mathematics at the senior secondary school level in Nigeria
2
is not encouraging despite the importance attached to it both

as an academic discipline and as knowledge that everybody
needs in the society as stipulated in the national policy on
education (FRN, 2004). The need to curb this problem of poor
performance in mathematics and to make a case for effective
approaches for its teaching has led to various policies,
programmes and decisions aimed at achieving the goals of
mathematics education. The most comprehensive of this is the
National Policy on Education (NPE) which recommended that
the teaching of mathematics at the primary and secondary
schools should be compulsory.
Obioma (1989) observed that secondary school students
in Nigeria are known to demonstrate low attainments in
mathematics examinations. This has made some students to
develop fear and dislike for mathematics. One particular area
where students have problems is Algebra. WAEC (2004)
reported candidates weakness in algebraic expression and
word problems. Thus algebra has been known to be a major
stumbling block in the learning of mathematics. Problems with
algebra can be ascribed to the use of traditional teaching
3
method and their effects on the learners have bearing on the

performance
of
students
in
mathematics
examinations
(Kieran, 1992). In the traditional methods of teaching algebra,

students are exposed to rote learning and mastering of
algorithms where mathematical operations are taught through
procedures that lead the students to the correct answer. This
approach does not encourage mathematical reasoning, so
when students are presented with problems that require
conceptualization
they
mathematical phobia.
become
frustrated
and
develop
The classroom teacher has in most
cases borne the responsibility of students poor performance in

mathematics examinations. Obioha (1987) and Njoku (1993)
for instance, are of the opinion that teachers instructional
methods
and
performances
strategies
of
have
students
and
often
affected
indeed
the
the
poor
classroom
procedure. One of the biggest misconceptions about the

teaching and learning of mathematics is the belief that there is
only one method for determining the solution of problems.
This situation will remain as long as instruction remains
uniform for all students irrespective of individual difference.
4
This study is interested in finding out the appropriate

method that will guarantee the learning of algebra in our
secondary schools with a view to presenting a system that may
lead to improvement of the quality of instruction. One way of
achieving this is through a careful and thoughtful selection of
appropriate teaching strategy that could help in promoting
students ability to comprehend mathematical concept rather
than passive reception of ideas (Adeleke, 2007). The learner
has to form every new concept in his own mind rather than
using concepts established by past mathematicians. It then
becomes the duty of the teacher to teach mathematics in a
way to encourage the understanding of the required basic
structure of mathematics.
Ezenweani (2002) defined teaching as the ability to guide
one to obtain knowledge. In the process of instruction, the
teacher does the work of guiding the learners through social
interactions to gain experiences that are worthwhile for social
living in the larger society. Elekwa (1996) defined teaching as
guidance that does not permit the learner to stray from the
paths of relevant experience. As such, the effectiveness of the
5
teacher guidance will normally depend on how much he knows

of the learner, his ability to diagnose the problem of the
learner and intervene appropriately and on time too. Thus
effective teaching must aim at helping the learner to take the
best
of
what
his
environment
can
afford
as
learning
experiences.
The teaching of mathematics has been that of the teacher
initiating knowledge while students sit as passive recipient of
knowledge. This has resulted in the downward performance of
students (Ado, 2008). Defur (2002) observed that the low
performance of students in examinations can be traced to
teachers inability to deliver effective instruction. This suggests
that the major objectives of teaching mathematics are not
being achieved with the method in use; hence there is need for
teaching strategies that will create varieties of activities which
involve active participation of the learner, induce the spirit of
cooperation, competition and inquiry under the guidance of
the teacher. These have led to the development of various
teaching techniques to make learning more suitable to the
learner.
These
techniques
include
the
Individualized
6
Prescribed Instruction (IPI), Computer Assisted Instruction

(CAI) and Mastery Learning. All these techniques emphasize
on task learning. It is against this background that the effect
of
peer
mediated
instruction
(PMI)
on
the
academic
achievement of students in algebra is being investigated.

The PMI is a teaching technique aimed at helping students
acquire the best learning experiences which they failed to
attain as a result of poor learning environment. The PMI is
based on Vygostkys social development theory. This theory is
one of the foundations of constructivism. In the constructivism
theory, the learner interprets, organizes and uses information
from the environment and uses the knowledge gained from
these actions to acquire skills and knowledge. During peer
interaction, students speak at a level that other students
understand, challenge each other and try to reconcile
contradictions, take feedback from other students seriously
and
accept
communication
and
corrections
from
other
students (Damon, 1984). All these play a role in effectiveness

of collaborative work. The act of explaining plays essential role
in the process of resolving cognitive conflict which entail a
7
series of interaction in which students explain their view

points
to
each
other.
Students
benefit
from
receiving
explanation from peers who have more knowledge, better

understanding or a different perspective. They benefit from
explanations that help them clarify, correct, elaborate or
solidify their own understanding. In the context of teaching
role, most researchers found that giving explanations relates
positively to achievement (Webb, 1989 and Pallinscar, 1998).
That is when a student gives explanation in other to help
someone else. This action also benefits her understanding and
achievement. This implies that the role of PMI in context of
learning is significant. Peers are known to respond to
themselves faster than they do to adults and this will help the
children to learn new materials in academic situations
(Essuman, Nwaogu and Nwachukwu, 1990) thus students
gain more knowledge through the private studies, discussions
and tutorials which follows instructions.
For the purpose of this study, peer mediated instruction
(PMI) is an educational programme in which students act as
teachers to other students. When one critically observes the
8
secondary schools, one will clearly see that students put in

much of their learning time and efforts on their own during
mathematics examinations. A close observation will also show
that
some
instructional
of
them
strategy
teach
other
that
consists
students.
of
PMI
pairing
is
an
students
together to learn an academic task. This pairing of students

can be based on the same or differing ability and/or age range.
Bender (1992) defined PMI as an instructional method
that assists in the development of both academic and social
skills among children with learning disabilities. These children
may participate on one to one peer tutoring in which one child
teaches the skill to a recipient. At a particular time, one
member of the group directs the learning activities that guide
or teach the other. The learning that takes place under this
condition is what is considered as peer mediated learning.
This study seeks to identify the effect of PMI on the
achievement of students in algebra as it relates to gender
(male and female) and school location (Urban and rural). The
issue of gender has become relevant in the study because the
schools in the study area are mixed secondary schools.
9
Gender as a variable is widely believed to have influenced the

achievement
of
students
in
mathematics
examinations.
Evidence from researches reveals that gender is a significant

factor in secondary school mathematics achievement (Obioma
& Ohuche, 1980). Fennema and Carpenter (1981) observed
that there is no significant difference in the performance of
boys and girls in mathematics before the age of 11. This
difference becomes significant in favor of the boys after the age
of 11. Research evidence (Agwagah and Ezeugo, 2000; Harbor
Peters 1993) also revealed that there is difference in the
achievement of students in mathematics scores in favor of
boys. Thus this study seeks to investigate the effect of PMI on
the achievement of boys and girls in algebra. The school
location as another variable is relevant in the study since
many secondary schools are located in both the urban and
rural areas. The urban-rural influence on mathematics
learning as in any other subject is expected because of the
psycho-social influence it may have on teachers and students.
Emma (1989) noted that students in the urban environment
are exposed to the presence of material properties, electronic
10
and high technology products which are likely to stimulate the

students intelligently. This suggests that students in urban
areas will perform better than their rural counterparts in
mathematics examinations. In discussing the influence of
school
location
on
the
achievement
of
students
in
mathematics, Maliki, Ngban and Ibu (2009) noted that

students in the rural areas, against all odds, perform better
than their urban counterparts. Thus, this study will seek to
investigate the effect of PMI on the academic achievement of
urban and rural based students in algebra.
Statement of Problem
This problem was identified due to the continuous low
achievement by students in the senior secondary school
mathematics examination. WAEC Chief Examiners Report in
the past few years points to students poor performance in
mathematics. The Chief Examiners observed that candidates
had problems in simplifying algebraic expression and solving
word problems. Furthermore, students poor performances in
mathematics examinations suggest that the instructional
methods used by teachers are ineffective. This incidence of
11
ineffective mathematics instruction in our senior secondary

schools necessitated the need for an alternative approach
which has the potential for effective teaching and learning of
algebra. One such approach is the use of PMI in algebra
learning. The statement of problem therefore is; will the
application of PMI in mathematics instruction enhance
students achievement in algebra?
Research Questions
To guide this study, the following questions were raised.
i.
What are the mean achievement scores of students

exposed to PMI and those exposed to self directed study
in algebra?
ii.
What are the mean achievement scores of urban and

rural students exposed to PMI in algebra?
iii.
What are the mean achievement scores of male and

female students exposed to PMI in algebra?
iv.
What is the effect on the interaction of method by gender

in both students exposed to PMI and those exposed to
self directed study in their posttest mean achievement
scores in algebra?
12
v.
What is the effect on the interaction of method by school

location in both students exposed to PMI and those
exposed to self directed study in their posttest mean
achievement scores in algebra?
Research Hypotheses
From the research questions raised above the following
null hypothesis were formulated and tested at a significant
level of 0.05.
HO1: There
is
no
significant
difference
in
the
mean
achievement scores of students exposed to (PMI) and the

self directed study group in algebra.
HO2: There
is
no
significant
difference
in
the
mean
achievement scores of urban PMI students and their

rural counterparts in algebra.
HO3: There
is
no
significant
difference
in
the
mean
achievement scores of male PMI students and their

female counterparts in algebra.
HO4: There is no significant interaction effect between method
and gender on students mean achievement scores in
algebra in both PMI and self directed study group.
13
HO5: There is no significant interaction effect between method

and school location on students mean achievement
scores in algebra in both PMI and self directed study
group.
Purpose of the Study
The major purpose of this study was to investigate the
effect
of
peer
mediated
instruction
on
the
academic
achievement of students in SS1 algebra. Specifically, the study

sought to:
i.
Find out if the PMI students will perform better than the
ii.
Find out if there is a significant difference in the mean

achievement scores of male and female PMI students in
algebra.
iii.
Compare the achievement of urban and rural PMI

students in algebra.
iv.
To find out if the interaction of method by gender and

method by school location influence students mean
achievement scores in algebra.
14
Significance of the Study

The findings of this study may help school owners with
relevant information on PMI which would enable them to
incorporate the technique into their school curriculum.
Educational researchers would equally benefit from the
findings in this study since the study may highlight gaps in
instructional methods especially in terms of time constraints
in teaching mathematics. Information provided by this study
may also help to generate and sustain a continuous research
in area of improving mathematics teaching in senior secondary
schools.
The findings in this study may also enable teachers to
apply PMI in classroom since it can accommodate a classroom
of diverse learners including students with learning disabilities
(Access Centre, 2004). PMI is easy to implement by the teacher
since it does not cost him anything to obtain maximum
benefit.
15
The findings in this study may also help students to

understand and appreciate that interaction with their peer
would bring about social standing among them.
Curriculum planners may also benefit from the findings
since awareness would be created on the essence of PMI in the
learning of mathematics in schools.
Scope and Delimitation of the Study
This study was limited in scope to finding out the effect of
PMI on academic achievement of students in algebra. The
aspect of algebra that was focused on was quadratic
equations. The choice of this topic was based on the repeated
reports from the WAEC Chief examiners report that students
could not solve simple algebraic equations correctly.
The study covers SS 1 students in public mixed secondary
schools in Delta North Senatorial district of Delta State.
Limitations of the Study
Generally the findings of the study may be affected by the
following factors.
Some of the students in the sampled schools were
frequently chased away from classes by the school authorities
16
during PMI sessions for not participating in evening sports

activities. This irregularity in attending classes may have
affected the performance of students in the study.
Research assistants used for the study were trained and
tested; this does not guarantee them to produce the desired
effect on the subjects during the treatment.
In spite of these limitations, the findings strongly indicate
that PMI approach made a difference in the achievement of
Operational Definition of Terms
To assist the comprehension of this study, a list of terms
utilized is provided.
1.
Peer: These are students in the same class undergoing
the same learning experiences.

2.
Peer
Mediated
Instruction
(PMI):
This
is
an
instructional strategy in which a peer through a structured

arrangement interacts or mediates with another peer in other
to promote learning.
3. Achievement: This is a measure of the overall performance
of a learner in a test.
17
4. Peer Tutor: This is a student who was used in instructing

his/her classmates.
5. Peer Tutee: A low achieving student who receives instruction
from his/her classmates.
6. Subjects: These are students who were used in the study.
7. PMI students: Students who were exposed to peer mediated
Instruction.
18
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter presents the review of related literature
under the following headings.
1)
Theoretical Framework of the study
2)
Peer mediated instruction
3)
The teaching of Algebra in Nigerian schools.
4)
Application of peer mediation in teaching of Algebra.
5)
Empirical
studies
on
achievement
of
students
in
mathematics.
6)
Appraisal of the review
Theoretical Framework of the study

Vygotsky (1978) formulated the theory of peer mediation
otherwise called Vygotskys social development theory which is
one of the foundations of constructivism. The constructivist
theory and social development theory of Vygotsky reinforce the
impact of learners participation in peer interactions. Thus,
learners activities are always bounded in a social context and
involve learners use of language and interpretative abilities.
The learners in this case interpret and organize information
19
from the environment and use the knowledge they gain from
these activities to acquire skills and knowledge. Ascherman
(2001) remarked that as children discover a world that is full
of meaning through interactions with their peers, they help to
shape and share in their own developmental experiences.
Ascherman further noted that in determining the nature and
part of development in the learner, it is essential to determine
the social environment where the development occurs. The
development in the learner does not occur in isolation but
rather
it
is
formed
by
the
interconnection
of
social
relationships and interaction between them. Thus, as learners

coordinate ideas, they are able to contribute to their present
understanding of the situation and information that is related
to it cognitively and socially.
Vygotsky (1978) argued that cognitive development not
only takes place with social support from others in an
interaction, but also involves the development tools for
mediating intellectual activity. Hence social interactions play
an important role in cognitive development.
20
Every function in the childs (Cultural) development appears

twice, first on the social level and later on the individual level;
between people (interpsychology) and then inside the child
(intrapsychology) (Vygotsky, 1978). Vygotskys psychological
model emphasized the role of dialogue in mediated cognitive
growth and suggested that learners were able to perform in
collaboration with one another, what they have not mastered
independently. The constant dialogue between the learners as
they discuss and negotiate helps strengthen their language
and mathematical skills. Moore (1991) described dialogue as
the interaction between the teacher and learner, when one
gives instruction and the other responds. Corsaro and Rizzo
(1988)
emphasized
that
learners
interaction
with
their
playmates affect their development. This occurs through the

constant dialogue, negotiation and construction of experiences
between the learners within their interactions. The learners
are able to do this at a level between them that is different
from interactions with adults.
Vygotsky (1978) remarked that there are certain areas in
learners interaction that specifically contribute to a higher
21
level of cognitive understanding; one such area is the zone of

proximal development (ZPD). Vygotsky defined the zone of
proximal development as the distance between the actual
development level as determined by individual problem solving
and the level of potential development as determined through
problem solving under adult guidance or collaboration with
more capable peers.
The ZPD defines the functions that have not yet matured
in the learner, but are in the maturation process. Without the
learner interacting and communicating, their zone of proximal
development would not be affected (Aschermann, 2001).
Tharpe and Gallimore (1988), while discussing Vygotskys
theory emphasized the need for education to move towards a
more collaborative role between students and teachers. They
remarked that teaching must be redefined as assisted
performance where teachers assist the learner by providing
structure
and
assistance
in
their
work.
This
assisted
performance occurs between the learner when they participate

in experiences together by providing information to each other
thereby increasing their understanding of the activity or
22
concept. This is related to Vygotskys term of working with the

zone of proximal development. When teaching is structured
under the concept of assisted performance, it works within the
zone
points
where
the
learners
performance
requires
assistance. The learner can move through the ZPD by a more

capable person or by practicing a skill on their own while in
the process of mastering it. The more capable person can
either be an adult or a peer.
Tharpe
and
Gallimore
(1988)
noted
that
in
any
educational settings, peer models are more important sources

of assisted performance. This is similar with Vygotskys view
of the learner developing within their social world and the
importance of peer interactions and fostering higher levels of
cognitive development.
The researcher considered this theory to be more
appropriate for this study because it stressed on the use of
peers in teaching concepts that have been learnt. This study
involves peers interaction with other peers through discussion
which will help them have a proper understanding of whatever
they are taught.
23
Peer Mediated Instruction

Peer mediated instruction has played an important role
in education and has probably existed in one form or other
since the beginning of civilization. The first systematic
approach to peer tutoring is credited to Andrew Bell in late
18th Century. Bell realized that using monitors to teach other
children was a significant discovery than to cut cost by using
unorthodox and sandy teaching practices (Brendan, 2000).
Another important player in peer tutoring is Joseph Lancaster.
According to Brendan, Lancaster opened a school in London,
England in 1801 where he was responsible for about 350
students. Since there was no way he could teach this number
at the same time and maintain order, he decided that boys
who know little were qualified to teach those who knew less.
The numerous instances of peers teaching peers and the
generally accepted value of tutoring involving two peers have
lent great practical support to the elaboration of the idea of
peer
mediated
instruction
as
an
effective
program
in
facilitating the learning of algebra in our secondary schools.

Elekwa (1996) remarked that in most of our secondary
24
schools, we find that students have so much confidence in the

ability of other students to remediate their learning difficulties
in mathematics that they prefer peer mediation to explain
teacher
intervention
towards
and
during
mathematics
examinations. Ehly and Larsen (1980) observed that studies

have supported the claim that many students may feel more at
ease and thus can concentrate better on the subject matter
with a peer tutor rather than a professional teacher or
consultant.
The peer mediation that occurs in our schools is student
initiated as students spontaneously help their peers. In
Nigeria, this activity of peer mediation has not increased the
academic achievement of students because it lacks structure
and is not systematic.
The Access centre (2004) defined peer tutoring as an
instructional strategy that consists of students partnerships
linking high achieving students with lower achieving students
or those with comparable achievement for structured reading
and mathematics study session. Greenwood (1991) defined
peer tutoring as an instructional strategy in which two
25
children work together on an academic activity, with one child

providing assistance and instructional feedback to the other.
For Hall and Stegila (2003) peer mediated instruction and
intervention is an alternative classroom arrangement in which
students take an instructional role with classmates or other
students. Several approaches have been developed, some
support students working in pairs and other allow students to
work in small cooperative learning groups. For this instruction
to be effective, students must be taught instructional roles to
be systematic, to elicit responses and provide feedback
(Tontaleya, 2007). The effectiveness of PMI requires a high
degree of attention devoted to supervision of students learning
activities. Hall and Stegila (2003) supported the use of these
approaches as alternative practice activities; however, they do
not condone the use of peers for providing instruction in new
instructional content.
Hall (2002) explained four features of PMI as follows:
Students are taught roles by their teacher. During this

phase the teacher shows students how to help peers and
26
provides the format in which a concise and clear peer

mediated learning can take place.
Students provide instruction to other students. In this

phase once the teacher has determined that students
have mastered the skills necessary for success, students
are allowed to provide instruction to other students.
Students are not allowed to present new concepts, they
merely reiterate key concepts that have already been
explained, identified and addressed by the teacher. The
students are merely used to assist peers and further their
understanding of concepts.
Teachers monitor and facilitate. During this process, the

teacher monitors and facilitates pupils progress. The
teacher ensures that students are receiving appropriate
redirection by peers. Thus both students will act as tutor
and tutee. Generally, these students will be required to
become experts in certain task and then they must
demonstrate this proficiency to the teacher and tutee.
Academic and social goals. The goal of PMI is to build

academic and social skills. Instruction of this type
27
enables each peer partner to enhance each others

understanding of the concept and to develop critical
thinking
skills.
Thus,
students
learn
and
discuss
academic goals and understand that learning is a social

cognitive activity.
The PMI is implemented through various designs. This
study will focus on two widely researched form or model of
PMI. The cooperative learning model and the peer mediated
instruction and intervention Dyads model.
In the cooperative learning model, the teacher groups
students, and the students share knowledge and ideas within
the group (Hall and Stegila, 2003). The cooperative learning
model is accomplished through team cooperative learning and
group and regroups models. Team cooperative learning is
achieved when students remain in the same group through an
entire lesson (Johnson and Johnson, 1986). Team cooperative
learning is divided into three subunits; students teams
achievement divisions, cooperative integrated reading and
comprehension and teams games tournaments.
28
Another form of cooperative learning is the group and re

group design. The model is characterized by its structural
change during the learning session. Students are assigned
different groups during the various parts of each lesson. The
group configuration is altered for the remainder of the lesson
(Hall and Stegila, 2003). The group and regroup model also has
several
designs:
Jigsaw,
Team-assisted
individualization,
simple structures, numbered head together, co-op, and co-op.

For the purpose of this study, the peer mediated
instruction and intervention Dyads model shall be discussed.
The peer mediated instruction and intervention (PMII) dyads is
a form of peer mediated instruction in which students are
organized in pairs, or groups where they act as the tutor or the
tutee, depending on the type of PMI dyads that is being used
(Hall and Stegila, 2003). Hall and Stegila identified three
methods of institutionalizing PMII Dyads as: Reverse-role
tutoring, Class Wide Peer Tutoring and cross-age tutoring.
In reverse-role-tutoring, students with disability tutor a
student who is younger and not disable (Hall and Stegila,
2003). One of the major benefits of this model is that students
29
have the opportunity to develop interpersonal skills, while the

older students learn how to facilitate learning, the younger
student who is disabled is provided with the opportunity to
practice and obtain mastery with the academic material.
In Class Wide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) students are all in
the same class and are being taught the same material. The
students are instructed on how they can assist each other in
the role of the tutor and tutee. Nobel (2005) remarked that
during the practice phase of the system, students are taught
how to present material to their partner, praise correct
responses and provide error correction for incorrect responses.
In this model, students swap roles so that each will have a
chance to serve as tutor and tutee (Hall and Stegila, 2003).
Nobel (2005) remarked that CWPT has been used primarily to
teach discrete skills or concepts, such as vocabulary words,
math facts, or spelling word. Concepts with more than one
acceptable response or responses that require elaboration
would be difficult to practice with CWPT. The academic skills to
be tutored are usually chosen by classroom teacher.
30
The cross-age tutoring model is commonly used outside

the
general
classroom
environment.
Cross-age
tutoring
approach joins students of different ages, with older students

assuming the role of tutor and younger students assuming the
role of tutee (Hall and Stegila, 2003). Maher (1984) observed
that the younger and older students benefit socially from the
tutoring environment and learn the academic content.
Teaching of Algebra in Nigerian Schools
Wikipedia Encyclopedia (2010) defined algebra as a
branch of mathematics concerned with the study of rules of
operation and relations and the construction and concepts
arising from them, including terms, polynomials, equations
and algebraic structures. For Kieran and Yerushalmy (2004)
algebra is seen as a generalization of numeric and geometric
patterns and the law governing them; while Sfard (1994)
discussed algebra as a generalized arithmetic consisting of
operation and structural phases. The operation algebra can
be summed up as being tied to arithmetic operation while the
structural algebra can be seen in solving an equation with
variables on both sides.
31
Historically, algebra can be traced to ancient Babylonians

who developed an advanced arithmetic system with which they
were able to do calculations in an algorithmic fashion. The
Babylonians developed formulas to calculate solutions for
problems typically solved today by using linear equations,
quadratic equations and indeterminate linear equations (Struit
and Dirk, 1987).
Since the introduction of formal education in Nigeria,
mathematics has gone through several developments, from the
era of formal arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and
the likes through the period of traditional and modern
mathematics
controversy
to
the
present
day
general
mathematics (Aguele and Usman, 2007). At the secondary

school level in Nigeria, the mathematics curricula consisted of
arithmetic, geometry, algebra, trigonometry, and statistics.
The method of teaching the subject consisted of computational
drills,
algebraic
manipulations
and
some
exposure
to
deductive method of logical reasoning. The teachers main

objective was to prepare students to pass examinations but
this idea has resulted in teachers and students being
32
compelled to work to restricted examination syllabus with

definite bias to passing examinations (Elekwa, 1996).
The traditional method of teaching algebra in our schools
has been identified as being ineffective and is one of the major
factors responsible for the students low achievement in
mathematics
in
public
examinations.
Osibodu
(1988)
attributed this to the pattern in which answers to the previous

day homework are first given, and then teacher-directed
explanations are used to present materials for the new lesson.
This widespread discontent over the state of mathematics
teaching and learning in our schools prompted the Federal
Ministry
of
Education
and
her
agencies
to
organize
conferences, set up task forces and committees to study the

problems and issues militating against effective mathematics
instruction in our schools. These problems as reported by the
Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council
(NERDC) Task force on mathematics (1977) include:
The growing increase in school population with attendant

problems of corresponding increase in the range of
interest, abilities and levels of intelligence.
33
Language evaluation and management problems.
Inadequate number quality of teachers required to carry

through mathematics curriculum.
Adepoju (1991) remarked that mathematics curriculum
was adequate and the real problem in the teaching of

mathematics remains the provision of mathematics teachers
in the right quantity and quality. The teaching and learning of
algebra has been seen as a source of difficulty. The situation
in Nigeria reveals problems similar to researches carried out in
various parts of the world. These problems can be ascribed to
external factors like the teaching approach, poor image and
also to the intrinsic difficulties of the topic. Teachers,
mathematicians and mathematics educators consider algebra
to be one of the most important areas in senior secondary
school mathematics curricula. In spite of the importance
placed on it, many students find it difficult to comprehend.
The problem of students linguistic abilities places serious
constraints on actual algebra teaching. Oviedo (2005) observed
that students linguistic ability play an important role in their
learning and conceptual processing of academic subjects. For
34
example, the task of solving word problems relies on students

comprehension abilities, so that faulty solutions to word
problems may be traced to incorrect text comprehension and
inability to access relevant background knowledge. HarborPeters and Agwagah (1993) remarked that students perform
badly
in
word
problems
because
of
their
inability
to
comprehend the problems. They argued that if a student has a

problem with reading, he cannot even read or understand a
mathematical problem and so cannot solve it. Oviedo (2005)
further stated that in many instances individuals who seem to
lack adequate computational skills in solving word problems
demonstrate these skills when problems are presented in
numeric form. Research has shown that most of the
difficulties with word problems arise from mismatch between
text comprehension, situation comprehension and problem
solving procedures.
Another problem observed by teachers in the teaching of
algebra is that grown-ups often have negative image of
algebra, and many students can make no sense of it. In other
words, algebra is seen as a very rigid abstract branch of
35
mathematics having no relationship with the real world.

Ezenweani (2006) noted that the society has preconceived that
mathematics is a very difficult subject and that only gifted
individuals can excel in its study. This notion has been
transferred to the children about algebra. This is however a
wide speculation that exposing students to the beauty,
elegance and order inherent in mathematics may uplift,
generate and arouse their interest, change their attitude
towards
mathematics
thereby
improving
achievement
(Kurumeh, 2007). Kurumeh and Chiawa (2009) noted that the

highest failure rates in all public examinations right from
common entrance examination into the Junior Secondary
School to University matriculation examination is because
students are afraid of mathematics and are not interested in
studying it since they believe that mathematics is difficult to
understand.
Apart from the need for more trained teachers for algebra
instruction in schools, there is a problem of correcting certain
deficiencies
in
the
existing
approaches.
Most
of
the
approaches used in instruction could be carried over from the

36
way algebra or mathematics teachers had themselves been

taught. Ezenweani (2006) observed some problems inherent in
the study of mathematics to include the abstract nature of its
concepts and their abstraction by the teachers without
experimentation. As a result, mathematical concepts appear
vague to the learner. Thus students cannot understand simple
algebraic
concept
such
as
variables,
expression
and
equivalence. In this regard, the use of teacher centered

approaches with minimal interaction between students and
teachers are particularly inappropriate to algebra teaching.
Agwagah (2000) noted that one such variable which affects the
students in the learning of algebra is the teacher. She further
remarked that teachers inability to use instructional materials
in the teaching of algebra could arise from the fact that they
are not familiar with the instructional materials that may be
used in teaching the concept. Alternative teaching styles are
clearly demonstrated in seminar and meetings for upgrading
professional teaching skills.
Yoloye (Cited in Elekwa, 1996) on how many and how
well these identified approaches are being used in our
37
secondary schools showed that not enough time is being spent

on these approaches, hence the low level of achievement in
mathematics examinations by a larger segment of learners.
In finding ways of teaching algebra that allow students to
learn with understanding Kaput (2000) outlined the following
as the needed changes from what we already know about
algebra and learning.
Beginning early (in part by building on students informal

knowledge).
Integrate the learning of algebra with the learning of

other
subject
matter.
(By
extending
and
applying
mathematical knowledge).
Include the several different forms of algebraic thinking

(by applying mathematical knowledge).
Building on students natural occurring linguistics and

cognitive powers. (Encourage them on what they learn
and articulate what they know).
Encourage active learning (and the construction of

relationship) that puts premium on sense making and
understanding.
38
Application of Peer Mediated Instruction in Teaching

Algebra
Various forms of PMI have been conducted in a great
range of settings over the years. Most of the researches
conducted
were
on
non
educational
and
educational
environment with positive outcome on each (Hall and Stegila,

2003). Forms of peer mediated instruction and intervention
are reported to be the instructional method of choice for
preventing and alleviating many of the social problems related
to children, adolescents and young adults (Johnson, Johnson
& Stanne, 2000). Fuch, Fuchs, Mathes and Martiniez (2002)
also remarked that socialization experiences that occur during
peer tutoring can benefit both the tutor and tutee by
motivating students to learn and increasing their social
standing among peer.
For successful implementation of PMI in the teaching of
algebra, the Access Centre (2004) identified the following
process of implementing a peer tutoring lesson.
39
The teacher trains students on the process of peer

tutoring and strategies for fulfilling their role of tutor or
tutee.
The teacher assigns partners.
Students retrieve their tutoring materials prepared by the

teacher.
Students followed a highly structured tutoring procedure

in which tutors present materials previously covered by
the teacher, and provide feedback to the tutee.
Students switch roles after the teachers signal. The tutee

becomes the tutor.
The teacher circulates around the room monitoring and

providing feedback.
On the application of PMI in teaching of mathematics,
Access Centre (2004) illustrates peer tutoring as a discussion

of vocabulary words, symbols, numbers and their relationship.
The combination of visual representation, communication of
the process, and description of math concept, a student with
disabilities will benefit from the peer tutoring process.
40
The PMI can be applied in a number of ways in the

teaching of algebra. Before PMI sessions, the teacher should
clearly specify task to the students, and assigning students to
their tutoring pairs. The Access Centre (2004) remarked that
students must be taught methods for seeking help, such as
directing, asking for help and continuing to ask for help until
they understand. The pairs should be made to understand
each others learning needs and the background to specific
task. The students should be taught how they can explain to
their partner, how they can find answers rather than giving
the answer.
The assigning of partners is based on the level of ability
of the content area for tutoring. Sheldon (2001) observed that
matching of pairs of course depends on compatibility of the
tutor and tutee. In other words, in assigning partners the
teacher should consider the personality and the academic
difficulties of the students. For example, using PMI to reinforce
an algebra lesson involving reading, understanding and
forming of equation from a word problem will work best with a
41
cross-age tutoring model or pairing a highly skilled tutor with

a lower-skilled tutee.
In peer tutoring script, students are given a task like
Solve for x for an equation like ax + by = c. Students go
through two phases, a preparation phase and a collaboration
phase (Walken, Rummel, McLearn and Keodinger, 2007). In
the
preparation phase,
the
peer
tutors
are
given
the
opportunity to practice with the material ahead of time, by

solving the problems given to them by the teacher. During the
collaboration phase students are grouped in pairs and are
allowed to collaborate with the problems, taking turns being
peer tutors and peer tutees.
Empirical Studies on Achievement of Students in Algebra
Many studies have been carried out to measure the
achievement of students in mathematics. Mubark (2005)
defined mathematics achievement as a measure of overall
performance across all mathematical abilities typically found
in comprehensive school test, as compared with mathematical
thinking which measures the specific mathematical abilities
42
such as geometrical abilities ability to generalize, logical

abilities etc.
Educational research over the years has examined
gender difference as it affects the achievement of students in
algebra. Agwagah and Ezeugo (2000) conducted a study to
determine
the
effect
of
concept
mapping
on
students
achievement in algebra. Data was collected from 387 SS II

students using the algebra achievement test. The result of
their study to determine the differential effect of concept
mapping on the achievement of boys and girls in algebra with
particular reference to quadratic equations and inequalities
reveals that gender was a significant factor on students
achievement in algebra. The study shows that male students
achieved significantly better than their female counterparts in
algebra content. In a similar study, Harbor-Peters (1993) in
her study on students gender by teacher gender interaction in
SS 3 students achievement in mathematics, observed that the
male
performed
significantly
better
than
their
female
counterpart. In contrast to the above study Obioma and

Ohuche
(1980) in
their
study
of
gender difference
in
43
mathematics on secondary school students performance

found that female students performed better than male
students.
A number of studies have been carried out in Nigeria on
the effect of school location on the academic achievement of
the child. Emma (1989) observed that the dichotomy between
urban and rural community is a reality. He explained that
urban-rural environment can be identified with social class
differences. He further stated that high standards of living and
presence
of
material
properties,
electronics
and
high
technology products in the home are likely to stimulate

intelligently. These he concluded are all available in urban
areas. From the above study one would feel that it will be
difficult for a student in the rural environment to perform
equally well academically as his counterparts in the urban
environment, since the rural students would not have the
same
amount
of
teachers
attention
as
their
urban
counterparts. A study carried out by Maliki, Ngban and Ibu

(2009) on whether location of school influences performance in
mathematics test reveals that students from rural school,
44
against all odds performed better than those from urban

schools.
In
conclusion,
Paige
(1978)
remarked
that
environment and school related variables were strongly

associated with learning outcomes.
Researches on comparative learning have pointed out
that peer tutoring group
a type of cooperative learning is
effective at increasing childrens achievement at various level

of educational program (Slavin, 1991). In discussing a
measure of this effectiveness on the academic achievement of
students in mathematics, Bienesmith (1991) in his study
using peer tutoring for the acquisition of basic addition facts
in children with learning disabilities remarked that peer
tutoring is an effective instructional alternative for the
acquisition of basic computational skills in children with
learning disabilities. Elekwa (1996) conducted a study on the
effects of PMI on the academic performance of students in
mathematics. The students were randomly selected from a
homogenous group of senior secondary school students using
Solomon four-group design. Two groups were pretested and
randomly assigned to PMI group and control group. The same
45
was done to the other two groups without pretest. All were
exposed to six weeks course unit, at the end of which
test/examination results were complied and data collected.
The result confirmed that the PMI group performed better than
the control group.
Appraisal of the Review
The review of related literature in this chapter clearly
shows that mathematics is very important for the development
of a modern society (Ukeje, 1997). The teaching and learning
of mathematics in senior secondary school has shown that
enough time is not being spent by teachers on the identified
teaching methods. This has led to the notion that teaching is
inadequate in our schools and hence the poor performance of
students in public examinations. The performance of students
in mathematics has proved that teaching and learning are
below expectation (WAEC, 2006). Several efforts were made to
study the problems and issues militating against effective
mathematics teaching and learning in Nigeria. These problems
include the inability of teachers to use instructional materials
(Agwagah, 2000) and teachers methodology (Elekwa, 1996).
46
The reviewed literature indicated that few researches

have been conducted using PMI technique in the teaching and
learning of mathematics. For example, Bienesmith (1991)
focused his study on the acquisition of basic additional facts
in children with learning disabilities. In discussing school
location, Greenwood, Delquadri and Hall (1984) observed that
students academic behavior occurred less in inner-city 4th
grade classroom than the suburban schools. Thus many
researchers claim that rural based students performed better
than their urban counterparts.
The literature reveals that most of the work reviewed
were carried out in foreign countries and were very significant
to the achievement of students in mathematics. It appears
that there is no known study to this researcher yet on the
effect of PMI on students achievement in algebra in Nigeria.
The only known study carried out in Nigeria was that of
Elekwa (1996) which was on the effect of PMI on students
performance in mathematics. The absence of known studies in
algebra in Nigeria motivated the researcher into carrying out
47
this present study to empirically determine the effect of PMI on

the achievement of students in SS 1 algebra.
48
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHOD AND PROCEDURE
This chapter presents the method and describes the
procedure used by the researcher in this study. These include:
the design of the study, population of the study, sample and
sampling
procedure,
research
instrument,
validity
and
reliability of the instrument, treatment procedure and method

of data analysis.
Design of the Study
This study adopted the quasi-experimental design. In
quasi-experimental design, there is no random assignment of
subjects,
rather
intact
classes
are
used.
The
quasi-
experimental design adopted is the pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design. There are both experimental
and control groups. The variables focused upon are PMI as the
independent
variables,
gender
and
school
location
as
moderator variable while achievement was used as the

dependent variable. The choice of this design is to ensure that
normal class activities are not disrupted. This design can be
represented diagrammatically as:
49
O1
O3
O2
O4
Where
Experimental group A:
O1 = Pretesting
x = Treatment
O2 = Post-testing
Control group B:
O3 = Pre-testing
O4 = Post-testing
Table I
Variable matrix design for Algebra achievement of school
location by Gender
School Location
Gender
Male
Female
Urban
Rural
A O1 x O2
O1 x O2
B O3
O3
O4
O4
A O1 x O2
O1 x O2
B O3
O3
O4
O4
Source: Author
50
Population of the Study

The population of the study comprised all the 6,646
senior secondary one (SS 1) students in the 92 public mixed
senior secondary schools within Delta North Senatorial
District in the 2010/2011 academic session. The figure (6,646)
was obtained from the Research and Statistics Department of
the Zonal Offices of Post Primary Education Board in Asaba,
Agbor and Kwale. The choice of SS 1 students was to ensure
that students to be used in the study have already been
exposed to elementary algebra in their junior secondary school
mathematics curriculum.
Sample and Sampling Procedure
The sample for this study consists of 192 senior
secondary one (SS 1) students in six (6) mixed secondary
schools drawn from the ninety two (92) public mixed
secondary schools in Delta North Senatorial District in the
2010/2011 academic session. The choice of mixed secondary
schools is due to the fact that single sex schools are not
located in the rural areas of Delta North Senatorial District.
The use of mixed secondary schools was to take effective
51
control of the sex variable of the study. In each of the sampled

schools one intact class was drawn for the study using
balloting with replacement technique. This gives a total of 6
intact classes that were drawn for the study. Intact classes
were used for this study because initial equivalence may not
have been achieved for the subjects in the two groups.
Delta North Senatorial District was stratified into three
namely Agbor Educational Zone, Asaba Educational Zone and
Kwale Educational Zone. In each stratum, the researcher
purposively sampled two schools, one from urban and one
from rural area in agreement with one other variables of the
study that is school location. In each stratum one school was
assigned to experimental group and the other to control group,
so that for the three educational zones, 3 schools were
assigned to the experimental while the other 3 were assigned
to the control group through a simple random sampling
technique.
Research Instrument
The instrument that was used for collecting data is the
algebra achievement test (AAT) drawn from past WAEC
52
questions. The instrument comprises 30 objective test items.

The AAT was used for both pretest and posttest of the study.
The instrument was based on the table of specification for this
study as shown in Table II below. The test blue print was
based on the revised WAEC mathematics syllabus. The test
blue
print
indicates
the
cognitive
levels
of knowledge,
comprehension and application were represented by the test

items of the instrument. The knowledge area has 18
questions, comprehension has 9 questions and application
has 3 questions. Lesson notes were developed by the
researcher based on the topics to be treated from WAEC
general mathematics syllabus. The lesson notes developed by
the researcher were used by the research assistants. These
lesson notes were validated by three experts from the
Department of Science Education, Delta State University,
Abraka. See sample of lesson notes in Appendix A.
53
Table II
Test Blue print for SS1 Algebra Achievement Test
Topic/Content Content Knowledge Comprehension Application
Weight
Algebraic
60%
30%
10%
No of
question
30%
30%
Equations and 30%
10%
18
30
Simplification
and
Substitution
Quadratic
Equations
formula
Quadratic
graphs
Total
54
Validity of the Instrument

The algebra achievement test used in this study was
drawn from past WAEC questions. It comprises 30 algebra
objective test item. See Appendix B.
Reliability of the Instrument
The instrument was trial tested on a sample of one class
of SS 1 in Ogume Grammar School, Ogume, Ndokwa West
L.G.A. This school was excluded from the final study. An
estimate of internal consistency was established using KuderRichardson (K.R.-20) formula. The reliability coefficient was
0.71. This was considered high enough for the study. See
Appendix C.
Treatment Procedure
At the beginning of the treatment the researcher
administered the pretest of the AAT to both the experimental
group and the control group. To control for test effect, the
subjects were instructed to provide their pre-test answers in
their pretest question papers during the pretest in order not to
allow them anticipate the same question when post test was to
be administered. The objectives of the lesson were formulated
55
from the general scheme of work by the researcher. These were

presented to the research assistants to guide him in teaching
the classes both for the experimental and control groups
without making the subjects aware of the objectives as this
was not his usual practice. During treatment, the teaching
was conducted in all SS 1 classes of the various schools used
for the study.
The subjects in the experimental group were
briefed on the purpose of the system. After pretest, the

research assistants in the respective schools started adhering
to the lesson notes developed for this purpose by the
researcher. To control for threats for experimental bias during
the study, subjects were taught by their regular mathematics
teachers so that the researcher was not personally involved in
administering the research process.
Each class has five (5) periods of forty five (45) minutes
on their time table. The research assistants could only take
three periods out of the 5 periods required for mathematics
lesson, thus making an allowance for the research assistants
to use the other two (2) periods a week for PMI session.
56
In the experimental group, a test was administered to the

subjects at the end of the third period each week. Subjects
that performed poorly in the test were asked to choose
partners from those that performed better. Those subjects that
performed better were to act as peer tutors during the PMI
sessions. During this period, the peer tutors instructed the
peer tutees on what they learnt during that weeks lesson. The
research assistants supervised the subjects during PMI
sessions, also the researcher with the help of the research
assistants ensured that they observed the subjects in the
control group as they did their remedial reading on their own
without the peers assistance. This treatment lasted for six (6)
weeks. At the end of the treatment a posttest of the AAT was
administered to the subjects in the sampled schools.
Method of Data Analysis
In analyzing the data obtained for the study, the research
questions were answered using mean score and standard
deviation. On the other hand the hypotheses were tested using
Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at significance -level of
0.05.
57
CHAPTER FOUR
ANALYSIS OF RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This chapter deals with analysis and discussion of
results of the experiment. The results are presented in tables
based on the five research questions and five hypotheses that
guided the study.
Discussion of Research Questions
Research Question One:
exposed to PMI and those exposed to self directed study in
algebra?
Table III
Post test mean achievement scores of
Directed Study groups in Algebra.
Teaching
Mean
Std deviation
method
Peer mediated 19.51
2.984
instruction
Self directed
12.13
2.906
study
Total
15.82
4.726
PMI and Self

N
96
96
192
The results in Table III reveal that the PMI subjects had a
mean score of 19.51 and standard deviation 2.984 while the
self directed study group had a mean score of 12.13 and
58
standard deviation of 2.906. The scores in Table III also

reveals that the PMI
group had a higher post test mean
achievement score than the control group, thus indicating that

the PMI approach is more effective than the self directed study
in the teaching of algebra in senior secondary school level.
Research Question Two:
rural PMI students in algebra?
Table IV
Post test mean achievement scores and standard
deviation of Urban and Rural PMI students in Algebra.
Location
Mean
Std deviation N
Urban
19.70
3.079
64
Rural
19.13
2.791
32
Total
19.51
2.984
96
The results in Table IV reveal that the urban PMI

subjects obtained a higher mean achievement score of 19.70
and standard deviation of 3.079 while their rural counterparts
had a mean score of 19.13 and standard deviation of 2.791.
This implies that the urban PMI students performed better
than their rural PMI students in SS1 algebra.
59
Research Question Three

What are the mean achievement scores of male and female
PMI students in algebra?
Table V
deviation of Male and Female PMI students in Algebra.
Gender
Mean
Std deviation N
Male
19.98
2.744
54
Female
18.90
3.199
42
Total
19.51
2.984
96
The results in Table V shows that the male PMI students
obtained a mean achievement score of 19.98 and standard
deviation 2.744 while the female PMI students had a mean
score of 18.90 and standard deviation 3.199. This indicates
that the female PMI students performed better than their male
counterparts in algebra.
Research Question Four
in both students exposed to PMI and those exposed to self
directed study in their posttest mean achievement scores in
algebra?
60
Gender
Table VI
Post test mean achievement score and standard deviation
of subjects by Method and Gender.
Method
Group
Male
Female
Peer mediated
instruction
Mean
S.D
Self directed
study
Mean
S.D.
19.98
18.90
12.38
11.78
2.744
3.199
2.765
3.086
The summary of the results in Table VI indicates that the

male PMI students had higher mean achievement scores of
19.98 with standard deviation 2.744 than the male students
in the control group who had a mean score of 12.38 with
standard deviation 2.765 while the female PMI students
obtained a higher mean score of 18.90 with standard deviation
3.199 than their female counterparts in the control group who
had their mean achievement score of 11.78 with standard
deviation 3.086. However, comparing the mean achievement
scores of male and female PMI group, it was observed that the
male subjects had a higher mean achievement score of 19.98
while their female counterparts had a lower mean score of
18.90.
61
Research Question Five

location in both students exposed to PMI and those exposed to
self directed study in their posttest mean achievement scores
in algebra?
Table VII
deviation of subjects by Method and School location
Method
School
Location
Group
Urban
Rural
Peer mediated
instruction
Mean
S.D
19.70
3.079
19.13
2.791
Self directed
study
Mean
S.D.
13.88
2.661
11.25
2.631
Table VII reveals that the urban PM1 group had a higher
mean achievement score of 19.70 with a standard deviation
3.079 than the urban control group with mean achievement
scores of 13.88 and standard deviation 2.661, while the rural
PMI students obtained a higher mean score of 19.13 and
standard deviation 2.791 than their rural counterparts in the
control group who had a mean score of 11.25 and standard
deviation 2.631. Comparing the mean achievement scores of
62
urban and rural PMI group, it was observed that the urban
subjects obtained a higher mean achievement score of 19.70
while their rural counterparts had a lower mean score of
19.13.
Testing of Research Hypotheses
Hypothesis One
There
is
no
significant
difference
in
the
mean
achievement scores of students exposed to (PMI) and the self

directed study group in algebra.
Table VIII
One-Way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) of Posttest
scores of Students exposed to Peer- mediated instruction
and those exposed to Self directed study
Source
Type III
df
Mean
F
Sig
2
Sum of
Square
at
Squares
p<
<.05
Corrected 3204.841a
2 1602.420 285.236 .000 .751
Model
Intercept 1622.594
1 1622.594 288.827 .000 .604
Pretest
586.710
1
586.710 104.436 .000 .356
Method
2315.57
1 2315.574 412.179 .000 .686
Error
106.779 189
5.618
Total
52305.00 192
Corrected 4266.62 191
Total
a. R Squared = .286 (Adjusted R Squared = .270)
2 = Partial Eta Squared
63
Table IX
Estimated Marginal Means of the Experimental and
Control groups
Teaching Methods
Mean
Peer mediated
Instruction
Self Directed Study
19.313a .243
95% Confidence
interval
Lower
Upper
Bound
Bound
18.834
19.791
12.323a .243
11.844
Std
Error
12.801
a. Covariates appearing in the model are evaluated at the
following values: pretest = 8.37.

Table VIII shows that F (1,189) = 412.179, p<0.05.The
calculated p-value is given as 0.000. The actual p-value is less
than the chosen -level of 0.05. Thus hypothesis 1 of no
significant difference is rejected. This means that there was a
significant difference between the mean achievement scores of
students exposed to peer mediated instruction and those
exposed to self directed study method in algebra. This implies
that the mean achievement score is different for the two
teaching method. The table shows that 68.6% of the total
variance on the mean achievement scores of students in
64
algebra is attributable to the influence of the method of

instruction.
The profile plot in Fig. 1 below shows the estimated
marginal means for the algebra test scores for the two
methods after controlling for the initial quantitative ability
(pretest). The graph makes it clear that the PMI subjects had
significantly higher mean achievement scores in algebra test.
Fig. 1
65
Hypothesis Two:
There
is
no
significant
difference
in
the
mean
achievement scores of urban PMI students and their rural

Table X
One-Way ANCOVA table of posttest mean
scores of Urban and Rural PMI Students
Source
Type III
df
Mean
F
Sum of
Square
Squares
Corrected 241.673a
2 120.837
18.596
Model
Intercept 1351.605
1 1351.605 208.002
Pretest
234.543
1 234.543
36.094
Location
.710
1
.710
.109
Error
604.317 93
6.498
Total
37389.000 96
845.990 95
Corrected
Total
a.
achievement
Sig at 2
p<
<.05
.000
.286
.000
.000
.742
.691
.280
.001
R Squared = .286 (Adjusted R Squared = .270)
66
Table XI
Estimated Marginal Means of Urban and Rural PMI
Students
95% Confidence Interval

School
Location
Mean
Std.
Error
Lower
Bound
Upper
Bound
Urban
19.572a
.319
18.937
20.206
Rural
19.388a
.453
18.489
20.287
From Table X above, the calculated F (1, 93) = .109.

The calculated p = .742 is greater than the declared - level of
0.05. The researcher upholds the null hypothesis two and
concludes that there is no significant difference in the mean
achievement scores of urban PMI subjects and their rural
counterparts in algebra. However the effect size (partial eta
squared 2 = .001) for school location is small in that it
accounts for only 0.1% of the variance on the achievement of
students in algebra test.
The graph in Fig. 2 below shows that urban PMI subjects
had a higher mean achievement score than their rural
67
counterparts in algebra test after removing the effect of the

pretest.
Fig. 2
68
Hypothesis Three:
There is no significant difference in the mean achievement
scores of male PMI students and their female counterparts in
algebra.
Table XII
One-Way ANCOVA of posttest mean achievement scores of
Male and Female PMI Students
Source
Type III
Df
Mean
F
Sig at 2
Square
Sum of
p<
<.05
Squares
Corrected 250.233a
2 125.117
19.531 .000
.296
Model
Intercept 1359.557
1 1359.557 212.232 .000
.695
Pretest
222.844
1 222.844
34.787 .000
.272
Gender
9.270
1
9.270 1.447
.232
.015
Residual
595.756 93
6.406
Total
37389.000 96
Corrected
845.990 95
Total
Table XIII
Estimated Marginal Means of Male and Female PMI
students
95% Confidence Interval

Gender
Mean
Std. Error Lower Bound Upper Bound
Male
19.787a
.346
19.100
20.474
Female
19.154a
.393
18.374
19.934
69
Results in Table XII reveal that F (1, 93) = 1.447.
The
calculated p = .232 is greater than the declared - level of .05.

The F and p values indicate that after adjusting for the pretest
scores, there was no significant difference for the male and
female PMI students. However the effect size (2 = .015) for
gender is quite small in that gender accounts for only 1.5% of
variance on their mean achievement scores. The researcher
upholds the null hypothesis three and concludes that there is
no significant difference between the mean achievement scores
of the male PMI subjects and their female counterparts in
algebra test.
The profile plot in Fig. 3 below reveals that the male PMI
students obtained a higher mean achievement score after
removing the effect of the covariate (pretest) in algebra test.
70
Fig. 3
Hypothesis four:
There is no significant interaction effect between method and
gender on students mean achievement scores in algebra in
both the PMI and self directed study groups.
71
Table XIV
Two-Way ANCOVA table of subjects scores in AAT showing
Interaction of Method and Gender.
Source
Type III
df
Mean
F
Sig at 2
Sum of
Square
p<
<.05
Squares
Corrected 3220.591a
4
805.148 143.937 .000 .755
Model
Intercept 1625.304
1 1625.304 290.558 .000 .608
Pretest
566.578
1
566.578 101.288 .000 .351
Method
2282.371
1 2282.371 408.023 .000 .686
Gender
15.735
1
15.735
2.813
.095 .015
Method *
.017
1
.017
.003
.995 .000
Gender
Error
1046.029 187
5.594
Total
52305.000 192
Corrected 4266.620 191
Total
72
Table XV
Estimated Marginal Means showing the Interaction of
Teaching Method and Gender
95% Confidence
Interval
Teaching Method
Gender Mean
Peer Mediated
Instruction
(Experimental)
Male
Std. Lower
Error Bound
19.577a .324
Upper
Bound
18.937
20.217
Female 18.978a .365 18.258

Self Directed Study Male
12.560a .319 11.929
(Control)
Female 11.999a .370 11.269
a. Covariates appearing in the model are evaluated at
19.698
13.190
12.729
the
Results in Table XIV reveal that F (1,187) = .003, p = .995

is greater than the declared -value of .05. The researcher fails
to reject hypothesis four. This implies that there is no
significant interaction effect between methods and gender on
students achievement in algebra. The table also reveals that
after adjusting for pretest scores there was no significant
difference for gender since it accounts for only 1.5% of the
variance on students mean achievement score. The teaching
method accounts for 68.6% of the variance on students mean
achievement scores.
73
The nature of interaction is shown graphically in Fig. 4

below. The graph suggests that interaction is ordinal. In
ordinal interaction the lines do not intercept each other. In
this case the lines are exactly parallel. This implies that the
interaction
is
not
significant.
Therefore
the
researcher
concludes that there is no significant interaction effect of

method and gender on the achievement of students in algebra.
Fig. 4
74
Hypothesis five
There is no significant interaction effect between methods
and school location on students mean achievement scores in
algebra in both the PMI and self directed study groups.
Table XVI
Two-Way ANCOVA Table of subjects scores in AAT
showing Interaction of Method and School location
Source
Type III
Sum of
Squares
Corrected 3308.821a
Model
Intercept 1710.155
Pretest
536.561
Method
1854.020
Location
59.760
Method *
44.238
Location
957.799
Error
52305.000
Total
Corrected 4266.620
Total
a. R Squared = .776
Sig at
p<
<.05
827.205 161.503
.000
.776
1 1710.155 333.889
1
536.561 104.758
1 1854.020 361.978
1
59.760
11.668
1
44.238
8.637
.000
.000
.000
.001
.004
.641
.359
.659
.059
.044
df
187
192
191
Mean
Square
5.122
(Adjusted R Squared = .771)
75
Table XVII
Estimated Marginal Means showing the Interaction of
Teaching Method and School Location
95%
Confidence
Interval
School
Teaching Method Location
Std. Lower Upper

Mean Error Bound Bound
Peer Mediated
Urban
19.378a .285 18.816 19.939
Instruction
Rural
19.205a .400 18.415 19.994
(Experimental)
Self Directed Study Urban
13.788a .400 12.999 14.578
(Control)
Rural
11.579a .285 11.017 12.141
following values: Pretest = 8.37.
Results in Table XVI reveal that F (1,187) =8.637. The
calculated p = .004 is less than the declared - level of .05.
Thus hypothesis five is rejected. The results show that there
was significant difference in the urban and rural subjects.
However the effect size for school location is small since it
accounts for only 5.9% of the variance on the achievement of
students in algebra content.
The graph in Fig. 5 suggests that the interaction is
ordinal. Since the slope of the lines is not parallel, it therefore
76
means that the interaction is significant. The researcher

therefore concludes that there is a significant interaction effect
between method and school location on students achievement
in algebra.
Fig. 5
77
Discussion of Results
The discussion of the results in this study was done under the
following subheadings:
a.
Effect of PMI on the achievement of students in algebra.
b.
Effect of PMI and gender on achievement of students in

algebra
c.
Effect of PMI and school location on the achievement of

d.
Effect of the interaction of method and gender on

achievement of students in algebra
e.
Effect of interaction of method and school location on

achievement of students in algebra.
a.
Effect of peer mediated instruction (PMI) on the
achievement of students in algebra.

In the findings of this study, there was evidence of an
improvement
in
the
mean
score
of
students
in
the
experimental group. Results from Table III of this study reveal

that PMI approach was more effective to the traditional
method in fostering students achievement in algebra. The
78
difference in the mean score of students in algebra favors the

PMI group.
Results of the analysis of hypothesis one, presented in
Table VIII confirms that a significant difference exist between
the PMI and the self directed study group in their posttest
mean achievement score in algebra content, hence students
exposed to PMI technique performed better than their control
group counterparts. This finding is in agreement with those of
Elekwa (1996), Obioha (1987) and Njoku (1993) who are of the
opinion that teachers instructional methods affects the
performances of students in the classroom. Thus achievement
of students would greatly improve if relevant methods are
applied in the teaching of algebra. The reason for the high
performance of PMI students could be attributed to the
increase in students ability to interact with one another in
order to obtain new ideas to existing relevant concepts. The
high performance of PMI students could also be attributed to
students active engaged time for learning a task as reported by
Elekwa (1996) who noted that learning involves practice and
activities play an important role in mathematics achievement.
79
b.
Effect of peer mediated instruction (PMI) and gender
on achievement of students in algebra.

The results presented in Table V reveal that the male PMI
students
performed
slightly
better
than
their
female
counterparts. These results supports the findings of Agwagah

and Ezeugo (2000), Harbor-Peters (1993) who found that there
was difference in the performance of students in mathematics
in favor of male students. This result is at variance with the
findings of Obioma and Ohuche (1980) who found that female
students performed better than the male students.
The data presented in Table XII reveals that there was no
significant difference in the achievement of male PMI students
and their female counterparts in algebra. Though some
difference existed between their mean scores, the difference
was not significant to conclude that male students performed
better than the female. This implies that the male and female
students benefited equally from the PMI. This could be
attributed to the method being able to bridge the gap between
male and female students in terms of achievement. The finding
80
in the present study as regards to gender is in agreement with

that of Elekwa (1996) who found that there was no significant
difference in the performance of male and female PMI students
in senior secondary school mathematics. The no significant
difference between male and female students could be
attributed to the compatibility of the matching peers that is
the peer tutor/tutee.
c).
Effect of Peer Mediated instruction (PMI) and school

location on achievement
The results presented in Table X reveal that there was no
significant difference between the posttest mean achievement

scores of the urban and rural PMI students in algebra. This
finding is at variance with that of Emma (1989) who reported
in his study that school location influences the achievement of
students in Mathematics in favor of students in urban
schools. He noted that the urban students performed better
because of their exposure to material properties in their home
which stimulates them intelligently. The findings in this study
do not agree with the findings of Maliki, Ngba and Ibu (2009)
who concluded that students in the rural schools perform
81
better than their urban counterparts in mathematics. The no

significance difference between the urban and rural PMI
subjects in the present study suggest that the urban and rural
subjects benefited equally from the PMI technique. This could
be attributed to the method being able to bridge the gap
between urban and rural students in terms of achievement.
d).
Effect of interaction of method and gender on

achievement.
The results of data presented in Table XIV showed that
the
interaction
of
method
and
gender
on
students
achievement in algebra was not significant. The finding in this

study is in agreement with that of Igbo (2004) and Agwagah
(2000) who in their study found that there was no interaction
effect between instructional methods and gender on students
performance
in mathematics. Since
method by gender
interaction was not significant, it follows that the differential

effect observed in the study was as a result of PMI techniques
which was effective for teaching algebra to both male and
female
students
thereby
improving
their
mathematics
achievement.
82
e)
Effect of interaction of method and school location

on achievement.
The results of data presented in Table XVI from this
study reveals that there was a significant interaction effect of

method and school location on students achievement in
algebra. The implication is that since the interaction of method
and school location affects the achievement of students, it
therefore follows that the instructional method was not only
significantly related to achievement of students in algebra but
also dependent on the location of the school. The findings in
this study indicate that PMI technique has been found to
improve the achievement of student in algebra more than the
self directed study. Teachers should consider the location of
the school when selecting and presenting this technique in the
teaching of algebra.
83
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Summary of the study
The incidence of ineffective mathematics instruction in
senior
secondary
schools
resulting
in
students
poor
performance in qualifying examinations necessitated the need

for an alternative approach which has the potential for
effective teaching and learning of algebra. The purpose of the
study was to determine:
i.
If the PMI students will perform better than the self

ii.
If
there
is
significant
difference
in
the
mean
achievement scores of male and female PMI students in

algebra.
iii.
The achievement of urban and rural PMI students in

algebra.
iv.
The interaction effect of method by gender and method by

school location on students achievement in algebra.
84
Five research questions were stated and five null

hypotheses formulated and tested at 0.05 level of
significance.
The five research questions are;
a.

exposed to PMI and those exposed to self directed study
in algebra?
b.

rural PMI students in algebra?
c.
What are the mean achievement scores of male and

female PMI students in algebra?
d.

in both students exposed to PMI and those exposed to
self directed study in their posttest mean achievement
scores in algebra?
e.

location in both students exposed to PMI and those
exposed to self directed study in their posttest mean
achievement scores in algebra?
85
It was hypothesized that

i.
There
is
no
significant
difference
in
the
mean
achievement scores of students exposed to PMI and the

ii.
There
is
no
significant
difference
in
the
mean

iii.
There
is
no
significant
difference
in
the
mean

iv.
There is no significant interaction effect between method

and gender on students mean achievement scores in
algebra in both the PMI and self directed study group.
v.
There is no significant interaction effect between method

and school location on students mean achievement
scores in algebra in both the PMI and self directed study
group.
The study employed a quasi-experimental design. The
quasi-experimental design adopted is the pretest-posttest non

equivalent control group design. The population of the study
86
was 6,646 senior secondary one (SS1) students in 92 public

mixed secondary schools within Delta North Senatorial District
in the 2010/2011 academic session. Out of these schools six
mixed secondary schools were drawn through stratified
random sampling technique. The schools were randomly
assigned to experimental and control groups. In each of the
schools one intact class was randomly drawn for the study
giving a total of six intact classes. Students in these intact
classes constituted the sample for the study. The sample was
192 students in all.
Data were collected using a 30 objective test items drawn
from past WAEC questions. The reliability index of 0.72 was
obtained
using
the
Kuder-Richardson
20
formula.
The
research questions were answered using mean score and

standard deviation. On the other hand, hypotheses were tested
using analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at a significance level
of .05. The analysis was done using the statistical package for
the social sciences (SPSS).
Results obtained from the study were as follows;
87
i.
That
significant
difference
exists
between
mean
achievements scores of the PMI students and the self

ii.
That there is no significant difference between the mean

iii.
That there is no significant difference in the mean

iv.
That there is no significant interaction effect between

method and gender on students mean achievement
scores in algebra.
v.
That there is a significant interaction effect between

method
and
school
location
on
students
mean
achievement scores in algebra.

Conclusion
Based on the findings of this present study, the following
conclusions were drawn.
a.
That a significant difference exists between posttest mean

achievement scores of the PMI students and self directed
88
study group in algebra content, hence students exposed

to PMI technique performed better than the self directed
study group in algebra.
b.
That there was no significant difference between the

posttest mean achievement scores of urban PMI students
and their rural counterparts in algebra.
c. That there was no significant difference in the posttest mean

achievement scores of male PMI students and their female
d. That there was no significant interaction effect between
method
and
gender
on
students
posttest
mean
achievement scores in algebra in both the PMI and self

directed study group.
e.
That there is a significant interaction effect between

method and school location on students posttest mean
achievement scores in algebra in both the PMI and self
directed study group.
f. Peer mediated instruction is effective
for individual
performance in algebra as both the peer tutor and peertutee all learn during the PMI session.
89
Contributions to Knowledge
The contributions to knowledge of this study include:
i.)
The findings have helped to increase the volume of

literature in the area of peer mediated instruction.
ii.)
The description of the method and procedure will

popularize its use by teachers in the teaching of algebra.
iii.) The findings of the study have helped to reaffirm the

findings of earlier researchers in same field.
Recommendations
Based on the findings of the study, the following
recommendations were made.
I.
Since the study revealed that the use of PMI enhances

students achievement in algebra, mathematics teachers
in secondary schools should incorporate this technique
as one of the techniques used in the teaching of
mathematics in the classroom.
II.
Federal and State Ministries of Education, professional

bodies such as Mathematical Association of Nigeria
90
(MAN), Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN)

etc. should from time to time organize workshops and
conferences to train teachers on the use of PMI
technique. This will enable the mathematics teachers
apply it properly in the classroom for the benefit of the
students.
III.
Institutions offering Education courses should include

the use of PMI approach in the mathematics method
course content. This will ensure adequate training of
teachers on how to use the technique.
IV.
Teachers should be familiar with the steps that are

involved in PMI approach and use them also in the
teaching of students.
Suggestions for further studies

For further studies, the following topics have been
suggested.
1.
Effect of peer mediated instruction on the academic

achievement of students in JSS mathematics
2.
A comparative study on the effectiveness of PMI and

other instructional technique.
91
3.
Reading disabilities in students using PMI technique.
4.
A replication of this study using other subjects and areas

of study to find out the effect of PMI on the achievement
of students in those areas carried out.
92
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100
APPENDIX A
LESSON NOTE FOR TEACHERS
Lesson 1
Subject: Mathematics
Topic: Factorizing Quadratic Expression
Class: SS1
Age: 14+
Duration: 80 Minutes
Instructional Objectives: By the end of the lesson Students
should be able to:
i.
Write out the factors of a given number
ii.
Identify the general form of quadratic expression.
iii.
Factorize quadratic expression when the coefficient of

X2 is unity or one.
Entry Behavior: It is expected that students known how to

multiply and divide number. Find the HCF of algebraic
expressions.
Instructional Materials:
i.
New general mathematics for SS 1 by Channon, J. B.

A, McLeish Smith and H. C. Head.
101
Introduction
The teacher exchanges pleasantries with students and
see the orderly arrangement of the class. The teacher should
arouse the students interest by giving them a short pretest
based on their previous knowledge.
1.
Write out the factors of 32, 18, 33, and 45.
2.
Simplify the following
(i)
-3x x
(ii) -2x + 6x
(iii) +3x 9x
Presentation
Step 1: The teacher revises all aspects of the pre-requisite
skills which were given to them as pretest.
i.
Factors of 32 = 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32
45 = 1, 3, 5, 9, 15, 45
ii.
-3x x = -4x
-2x + 6x = 4x
+3x 9x = -6x
Step II: The teacher explains what a quadratic expression is.

A quadratic expression is an expression in which 2 is the
highest power of the unknown(s).
102
The
teacher
writes
down
the
following
quadratic
expression when the coefficient of X2 is unity.

i.
X2 + 14x + 45
(iii) X2 + 13x 48
(ii) X2 8x - 33
(iv) X2 25
Step III: The teacher leads the students to factorize the

quadratic expression above.
Example 1
X2 + 14x + 45
The factors of 45 are; 1, 3, 5, 9, 15, 45.
Select a pair of factors such that their sum is equal to the
coefficient of x which is + 14 and their product is +45.
x
X2 + 14x + 45 = (x+9)(x+5)
Example 2
X2 8x 33
The factors of 33:1, 3, and 11
Select a pair of factors such that their sum is equal to -8
coefficient of x and their product is -33.
103
11
X2 8x 33 = (x+3)(x-11)
Examples 3
X2 + 13x 48
Factors of 48: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12, 16, 24, 48
Pair of factors such that its sum is +13
and their product is -48
X
16
X`
X2 + 13x 48 = (x+16)(X-3)
Example 4
X2 25 X2 + OX 25
Factors of 25 = 1, 5, 25
Factors such that its sum is O and its product is -25
X
X2 25 = (x+5)(x-5)
The teacher should also ensure that appropriate method for
the expression can also be done by difference of 2 squares.
104
Note:
a2 b2 (a-b)(a+b)
a2 + b2 no factors
x2 8x 35 no factors
Evaluation: By the end of the lesson the teacher should find
out if the students have achieved the stated objective, by
asking them to factorize the following;
1.
x2 + 39x + 38
2.
x2 x 12
3.
x2 + 9x + 20
4.
x2 + 3x 40
The teacher moves round to check the work done by the
students.
Assignment
Factorize the following
i.
Z2 3Z + 2
(iv) K2 + 11k -26
(ii) n2 18n + 32
(iii) y2 12y + 35
(v) U2 -2uv 8v2
105
Lesson 2
Topic: Factorizing quadratic expression
Class: SS 1
Age: 14+
Duration: 80min
Instructional Objectives: By the end of the lesson, students
should be able to factorize quadratic expression when the
coefficient of X2 is not unity.
Entry Behavior: It is expected that students know how to
multiply and divide algebraic expression. Write down the
factors of algebraic expression, HCF of algebraic expression.
Introduction:
The
teacher
exchanges
pleasantries
with
students and see the orderly arrangement of the class. The

teacher should arouse the students interest by giving a short
pretest based on their previous lesson.
i. What is the different between
x2 3x + 2 and 7t2 + 10f + 3
Presentation: The teacher explains that x2 3x + 2 is a
quadratic expression in which the coefficient of x2 is unity
106
while 7t2 + 10f + 3 is a quadratic expression with coefficient of

f2 to be 7 i.e. not unity.
Step 2: factorize the following
i.
2x2 + 5x 3
iii
x2 + 9xy 36y2
ii m2n2 + 4mn 21
Example
2x2 5x -3. In this case we shall use a different method.
Multiply coefficient of x2 i.e. 2 by the constant term -3 = -6
Find the factors of 6: 1, 2, 3, 6
Select a pair of factors of 6 such that its sum is -5 the
coefficient of x and its product is -6.
The factors are -6 and +1
2x2 5x -3 = 2x2 6x + x -3
= 2x (x-3) + 1 (x-3)
= (2x + 1)(x-3)
Example 2
m2n2 + 4mn-2
Coefficient of n2 is m2
Coefficient of n is 4m
107
Multiply the coefficient of n2 by constant term

i.e. m2 x 21 = -21m2
Factors of 21m2 ; m, 3m, 7m, 21m
Select a pair of factors such that its sum is + 4m and its
product is -21m2-.
The required factors are -3m and _7m
m2n2 + 4mn 21 = (mn2 3mn) + (7mn -21)
= mn(mn -3) + 7 (mn-3)
= (mn + 7)(mn-3)
Example 3
x2 + 9xy 36y2
coeff. of x2 is 1 and constant term is -36y2
Find factors of 36y2; y, 2y, 3y, 4y, 6y, 9y, 12y, 18y, 36y
The required factors are -4y and + 12y
x2 + 12xy 4xy 36y2 = (x2 + 12xy) (4xy + 36y2)
=
x(x +12y) -4y (x +12y)
(x + 12y)(x-4y)
Steps 3: Evaluation
Students to factorize the following expression
1.
4y2 12y + 5
108
2.
5 7m 6m2
3.
3x2 + 5xy + 2y2
4.
12t2 11t + 2
The teacher goes round to check the students work.
Assignment
Factorize the following
1.
y2 5y + 6
2.
2f2 f 1
3.
15 2n n2
4.
x2y2 xy 3
109
Lesson 3
Topic:
Quadratic equations
Class:
SS 1
Age:
14+
Duration: 80 minutes
Instructional Objectives: By the end of the lesson, student
should be able to solve quadratic equations using method of
factorization.
Entry Behavior: It is expected that students can factorize
quadratic expression.
Instructional Materials:
Introduction: The teacher revises the previous lesson briefly
with the students.
Presentation: The teacher introduces the general form of a
quadratic equation. ax2 + bx + c = 0
Step 1: The teacher explains to students that solution of
quadratic equation is based on the principle that if the
product of two numbers is zero then at least one of them must
be zero. e.g. ab = 0 then either a = 0 or b = 0.
110
Step II
The teacher leads the students to solve the following
quadratic equations.
i.
x2 + 7x + 12 = 0
ii.
3x2 + 7x 6 = 0
The teacher explains that to obtain a solution of
quadratic equation, the students need the basic skills of

factorizing and solving linear equations.
Example
1.
x2 = 7x + 12 = 0
Factors of 12 = 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12
Required pair of factors is: +3 and + 4
x2 + 7x + 12 = x2 + 3x + 4x + 12 = 0
(x2 + 3x) + (4x + 12) = 0
x (x + 3) + 4 (x + 3) = 0
(x + 3)(x + 4) = 0
Either x + 3 = 0 or x + 4 = 0
x = -3 or - 4
2.
3x2 + 7x 6 = 0
Factors of 3 x 6 = 18 are: 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, and 18

111
Required factors that sum = +7 and product is -18 are 2 and

+9.
3x2 + 7x 6 = 3x2 + 9x 2x 6 =0
(3x2 + 9x) (2x + 6) = 0
3x(x + 3) 2 (x+3) = 0
(x + 3)(3x 2) = 0
Either x + 3 = 0 or 3x 2 = 0
x = -3 or 3x = 2
x = -3 or 2/3
Evaluation:
Students solve the following problems in the class while
the teacher goes round to check their work.
i.
(4x 5)(2x + 5)
ii.
16t2 =- 49
iii.
6x2 = 7x + 20
iv.
12y2 + y 35 = 0
Assignment
Teacher should give the following problem to students to
solve at home.
1.
(15 + 4a) (a 3) = 0
112
2.
63Z2 = 49 + 18Z
3.
6y2 = y + 1
4.
5n2 + 2n = 0
5.
4e2 11e + 25 = 0
6.
y2 y = 72
113
APPENDIX B
ALGEBRA ACHIEVEMENT TEST (AAT)
Name of School:
Class: SS 1
Sex:
Time Allowed: 1hr
Instruction: read each question carefully before choosing an
answer. Circle the letter with the correct answer on the
question paper.
Answer all questions
1.
Which the following equations has its roots as 4 and 5.
A.
x2 + 4x 20 = 0
B.
x2 + x + 20 = 0
C.
x2 x + 20 = 0
D.
x2 + x 20 = 0
E.
x2 x 20 = 0
2.
Make q the subject of the relation t =
A.
q=
pq
- rq
r
rt 2
p r3
114
B.
t2
p r2
C.
q=
D.
q=
p r3
rt 2
q = rt 2 p r 3
E.
3.
rt
pr
A man is four times as old as his son. The difference

between their ages is 36 years. Find the sum of their
ages.
(a) 45years (b) 48 years
4.
(c) 60 years
(d) 74years.
Factorize 6x2 + 7x 20
a). (6x-5)(x + 4) b). 2 (3x 5)(x + 2) c). (3x + 4)(2x 5)
d). (3x 4)(2x + 5)
5.
Simplify
a.
6.
x+7
6
b.
x+8
6
c.
x 11
6
d.
x4
6
If 2x2 + kx 14 = (x+2)(2x-7), find the value of k.

a. -3
7.
2x 1
x+3
3
2
b.
c.
d. 11
Which of the following is not a quadratic expression?

a.
y = 2x2 5x
115
8.
9.
b.
y = x(x 5)
c.
y = x2 5
d.
y = 5(x 1).
Subtract (-y + 3x + 5z) from (4y x 2z).

a.
5y 4x 7z
b.
3y + 2x + 3z
c.
-5y + 4x + 7z
d.
2x 5y + 3z.
Factorize m (2a 6) 2n (b-2a)

a.
(2a b)(2n m)
b.
(2a + b)(m 2n)
c.
(2a b)(m + 2n)
d.
(2a b)(m-2n).
10. If q oranges are sold for t naira, how many oranges can
be bought for p naira.
a.
p
t
2
b.
qt
p
c.
q
pt
116
pq
t
d.
11. Find the value of x which satisfies the equation 5(x-7) =

7-2x
a.
x=2
b.
x=4
c.
x=6
d.
x = 14
12. Solve for t in the equation

a.
b.
14 3
c.
d.
3
1
t + (21-t) = 11
4
3
13
5
3
5
13. Find the sum of the roots of the equation 2x2 + 3x 9 = 0

a.
-18
b.
-6
c.
9
2
d.
3
2
117
14. If p-2g + 1 = g + 3p and p 2 = 0 find g

a.
-2
b.
-1
c.
d.
2.
15. Factorize 5y2 + 2ay 3a2

a.
(a y)(5y 3a)
b.
(y a)(5y 3a)
c.
(y a)(5y + 3a)
d.
(y + a)(5y 3a)
16. Find the quadratic equation whose roots are c and c

a.
X2 + C2 = 0
b.
X2 C2 = 0
c.
X2 + 2cx + C2 = 0
d.
X2 2cx + C2 = 0.
17. If 8x 4 = 6x 10 find the value of 5x

a.
-35
-15
-3
3
118
e.
7
X
2 4
2 3
The table is for the relation y = mx + c where m and c are

constants. Use it to answer questions 18 and 19.
18. What is the equation of the line described in the table?
a.
y = 2x
b.
y=x+1
c.
y=x
d.
y=
1
+1
2x
19. What is the value of x when y = 5?

(a) 8 (b) 9 (c) 10 (d) 11
20. Make P the subject of the formula y =
a.
2a y
=P
a+ y
b.
ay 1
=P
y +1
c.
a+P
aP
( y 1)
=P
y +1
119
d.
ay
=P
y +1
e.
2y 1
=P
y 1
21.
8
6
4
2
-2
-1
-1
-2
The graph is that of quadratic expression

a.
y = X2 + X 2
b.
y = X2 X + 2
c.
y = X2 X 2
d.
y = X2 + 2x + 2
e.
y = X2 2x - 2
120
22. Factorize 2e2 3e + 1

a.
(2e 1)(e-1)
b.
(e + 1)(2e + 1)
c.
(2e + 3)(e-2)
d.
(2e 3)(e 1)
e.
(e2 3)(2e 1)
23. Solve the equation 7y2 = 3y

a.
y = 3 or 7
b.
y = 0 or 7
c.
y = 0 or 3/7
d.
y = 0 or 9
e.
y = 0 or 10
24. Factorize X2 + 4x 192

a.
(x 4)(x + 48)
b.
(x 48)(x + 4)
c.
(x 12)(x + 16)
d.
(x 12)(x 16)
e.
(x + 12)(x + 16).
25. Find the equation whose roots are
2
1
and
3
4
121
a.
12x2 + 11x + 2 = 0
b.
12x2 11x + 2 = 0
c.
X2 - 1112 x + 2 = 0
d.
12x2 11x 2 = 0
e.
X2 + 1112 x 2 = 0
26. Solve 6(x 4) + 3(x+7) = 3

(a)
3
2
(b)
2
3
(c)
1
2
27. Write as a single fraction

a.
r
12
b.
12
r
c.
1
6r
d.
r
6
e.
1
12r
(d)
1
3
(e) 0
5
3
6 r 4r
28. Given that x = 2 and y = , evaluate

a.
b.
1/5
X y 2 xy
5
122
c.
d.
29. Solve the equation

a.
1
5
b.
2
5
c.
1
3
d.
4
15
e.
4 1
+
=3
a 5a
1
3
30. Factorize x + a ax ay
a.
(x-y)(1-a)
b.
(x+y)(1+a)
c.
(x+y)(1-a)
d.
(x-y)(1+a)
123
APPENDIX C
RELIABILITY COEFFICIENT FOR AAT
Student Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
TOTAL
Test Score (X)

13
15
10
10
11
11
11
15
10
16
15
12
3
20
10
12
8
6
0
18
226
X2
169
225
100
100
121
121
121
225
100
256
225
144
9
400
100
144
64
36
0
324
2984
Variance. =
=
=
= 21.51
124
Question
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Total
p
.35
.50
.45
.35
.35
.50
.40
.35
.40
.35
.15
.35
.30
.25
.35
.30
.25
.35
.35
.30
.35
.50
.30
.35
.65
.50
.35
.45
.40
.50
q
.65
.50
.55
.65
.65
.50
.60
.65
.60
.65
.85
.65
.70
.75
.65
.70
.75
.65
.65
.70
.65
.50
.70
.65
.35
.50
.65
.55
.60
.50
pq
.228
.250
.248
.228
.228
.250
.240
.228
.240
.228
.128
.228
.210
.188
.228
.210
.188
.228
.228
.210
.228
.250
.210
.228
.228
.250
.228
.248
.240
.250
6.774
125
Kuder-Richardson 20 formula is given by
= number of items
Proportion of persons who responded correctly to an item
Proportion of persons who responded incorrectly
to an item
=
Mean score = 11.30

Variance = 21.51
Number of items = 30
=1.03 0.6851
0.705
= 0.71
126
APPENDIX D
Test of Assumption of Homogeneity of Regression
Ho: There no significant interaction difference between the
covariate and the independent variable (p<.05).
Table XVIII
ANCOVA Test for Homogeneity of Regression
Source
Type III
df
Mean
F
Sum of
Square
Squares
Corrected 3206.430a
3
1068.810 189.529
Model
Intercept 1614.875
1
1614.875 286.361
Pretest
578.443
1
578.443 102.573
Method
229.502
1
229.502
40.697
Method *
1.590
1
1.590
.282
pretest
Error
1060.189
188
5.639
Total
53205.000
192
Corrected 4266.620
191
Total
Sig at
p<
<.05
.000
.000
.000
.000
.596
Table XVIII above shows that F (1,188) = .232, the

calculated p = .596 is less than the declared - level of .05.
This implies that there is no significant interaction difference
between the covariate and the independent variable. Thus the
null hypothesis above is upheld. Therefore the result of the
127
test met the requirement for the use of Analysis of Covariance

(ANCOVA) on the data collected for the study.
The graph in Fig. 6 above shows the relationship between
the covariate and the dependent variable. The slopes of the
regression lines are almost parallel, that is the relationship
between pretest and the dependent variable is similar in the
two groups (the assumption of homogeneity of regression). The
previous test from table above revealed that the assumption of
homogeneity has not been violated. This is confirmed by the
fact that the slopes are almost parallel. Hence there is a linear
relationship between the covariate and the dependent variable.
128
Graph showing the linear relationship between the

covariate (pretest) and dependent variable (achievement)
Fig. 6
129
APPENDIX E
PRETEST AND POST-TEST DATA COLLECTED FROM AAT
1.
S/N
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
NIGER MIXED SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL,

ASABA (URBAN)
PRE-TEST
15
13
10
13
10
8
9
10
10
9
9
8
8
8
7
7
7
7
7
6
6
12
11
11
10
10
9
8
8
6
9
5
POST-TEST
25
20
21
16
14
25
21
22
24
21
21
23
23
21
19
18
20
21
20
22
18
18
21
21
23
21
20
21
20
23
22
17
GENDER
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
EXPERIMENTAL
130

2. OWANTA SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, BOJI-BOJI
OWA (URBAN)
S/N
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
PRE-TEST
18
13
12
10
11
11
11
9
8
8
8
7
6
5
5
15
11
11
6
6
6
6
10
9
9
8
8
8
8
8
5
5
POST-TEST
22
20
21
21
22
22
24
20
19
18
20
15
18
14
17
24
22
20
14
18
21
12
21
22
18
20
16
17
14
20
12
14
GENDER EXPERIMENTAL
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
131

3. EBENDO SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, EMUEBENDO (RURAL)
S/N
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
PRE-TEST
10
10
8
9
10
10
11
11
10
9
9
9
8
8
7
7
5
4
9
9
11
10
10
9
8
8
6
6
6
6
6
5
POST-TEST
20
23
20
18
20
21
23
21
20
18
19
20
24
20
17
18
17
12
18
21
21
23
23
15
18
20
21
17
16
18
16
14
GENDER EXPERIMENTAL
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
132

4. OBIARUKU SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL,
OBIARUKU (URBAN)
S/N
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29
30.
31.
32.
PRE-TEST
14
14
11
11
10
09
08
08
08
08
07
07
07
06
06
05
05
05
04
16
14
11
10
09
09
09
09
08
08
06
05
05
POST-TEST
16
18
14
17
13
12
14
15
11
12
14
14
15
13
08
11
16
14
13
18
18
16
12
11
17
14
18
10
16
10
11
13
GENDER CONTROL SCHOOL

M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
133

5.
S/N
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
ALIDINMA SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, AGBOR

ALIDINMA (RURAL)
PRE-TEST
12
12
11
11
10
10
09
09
09
09
08
08
08
08
07
07
07
06
06
04
04
04
11
11
10
09
09
09
08
08
06
06
06
05
05
05
04
04
04
04
POST-TEST
20
16
13
14
12
11
14
13
10
12
10
12
11
12
10
12
12
10
09
08
07
10
13
13
11
12
10
09
12
10
09
08
07
08
09
08
08
10
08
09
GENDER
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
CONTROL SCHOOL
134

6.
S/N
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
OKALEITE SENIOR COMPREHENSIVE SECONDARY

SCHOOL, ISELE MKPITIME (RURAL)
PRE-TEST
13
11
09
09
08
08
08
08
08
07
07
06
06
05
05
12
12
11
10
10
09
08
06
05
POST-TEST
16
15
08
08
13
14
14
14
08
12
12
11
10
08
10
14
13
15
16
14
12
10
11
10
GENDER CONTROL SCHOOL

M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
135

Effect of Peer Mediated Instruction On The Academic Achievement of Students in Algebra PDF

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Effect of Peer Mediated Instruction On The Academic Achievement of Students in Algebra PDF

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EFFECT OF PEER MEDIATED INSTRUCTION ON

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF STUDENTS IN

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION

EFFECT OF PEER MEDIATED INSTRUCTION ON

Dissertation Submitted to the Postgraduate School

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION

has satisfactorily fulfilled the

requirements for the award of masters degree in Education with

I also wish to thank the principals, staff, students and

encouragement throughout the period of my study. Finally, I

List of Figures Abstract

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Purpose of the Study

Significance of the Study -

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

Operational Definition of Terms-

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Peer Mediated Instruction -

Teaching of Algebra in Nigerian Schools

Application of Peer Mediated Instruction in

Empirical Studies on Achievement of Students in

Appraisal of the Review

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURE

Population of the Study

Sample and Sampling Procedure

Method of Data Analysis -

CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Testing of Research Hypotheses

Contributions to Knowledge - Recommendations

Suggestions for Further Studies-

Appendix B: Algebra Achievement Test (AAT)

Appendix C: Reliability Coefficient of AAT -

Appendix A: Lesson notes for Teachers

Appendix D: Test of Assumption of Homogeneity of

Appendix E: Pre-test and Post Test Data Collected from Algebra

Table II: Test Blue print for SS1 Algebra Achievement

Table III: Post-test mean achievement scores of

Table IV: Post-test Mean Achievement Scores and Standard

Table VI: Post-test Mean Achievement scores and standard

Table VII: Post-test Mean Achievement Scores and standard

Table VIII: One-Way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) of

Table IX: Estimated Marginal Means of the Experimental and

Table X: One-Way ANCOVA table of posttest mean

Table XI: Estimated Marginal Means of urban and rural PMI

Table XII: One-Way ANCOVA of posttest mean achievement

Table XIII: Estimated Marginal Means of male and female PMI

Table XIV: Two-Way ANCOVA table of subjects scores in AAT

Table XV: Estimated Marginal Means showing the interaction of

Table XVI: Two-Way ANCOVA Table of subjects scores in AAT

Table XVII: Estimated Marginal Means showing the interaction

Table XVIII: ANCOVA Test for Homogeneity of Regression - 127

Figure 2: Estimated marginal means of algebra test score for

Figure 3: Estimated marginal means of algebra test score for

Figure 4: Estimated marginal means of algebra test score

Figure 6: Graph showing the linear relationship between the

higher level of education. Mathematics occupies a central

government are worried about the situation. Available data at

is not encouraging despite the importance attached to it both

method and their effects on the learners have bearing on the

(Kieran, 1992). In the traditional methods of teaching algebra,

The classroom teacher has in most

cases borne the responsibility of students poor performance in