IMPROVING INTEREST AND ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHEMATICS: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF PEER TUTORING AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Improving learners’ academic achievement in core subjects is on the front burner of educational discourse. Researchers have taken to investigations to discover the best teaching-learning strategy to improve learners’ achievement in mathematics. Hence, the study examined the effect of peer tutoring on pupils’ academic success and interest in mathematics in Enugu State, the study utilized a quasi-experimental study design, guided by two research questions and two hypotheses. A purposive sampling technique was employed to arrive at the sample size of 163 primary (5) five pupils in four intact classes. The instruments for data collection were the Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) and Pupils Interest Scale (PIS), which was face validated by three experts. The reliability indices of the instrument were 0.87and 0.89 respectively, using Cronbach alpha formula. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while analysis of covariance was used to test the null hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that peer tutoring is improved the mathematics achievement of primary school pupils. The study also found out that gender is not a significant variable when it comes to pupils’ interest in mathematics and peer tutoring. The study concluded that primary school peer tutoring has positive effect on the academic achievement of pupils and improves pupils’ interest in mathematics irrespective of gender. The study therefore, recommended that primary school teachers ought to employ peer tutoring strategy so as to improve their pupils’ academic achievement in mathematics.