EFFECTIVENESS OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) IN MATHEMATICS AT SECONDARY LEVEL

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) compared to the traditional method of teaching in the subject of mathematics at secondary level in Pakistan. It was an experimental study of six weeks duration, and “post-test equivalent group design” was used for the statistical analysis of the research at 0.05 levels of significance. To conduct the research, the population considered was all male and female students studying mathematics at secondary level from six hundred and thirty seven schools affiliated with the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBI&SE). Three schools having co- education, computer laboratories with adequate faculties of networking and affiliated with FBI&SE at SSC level were randomly selected as the sample schools from public, garrison, and private sectors. A sample of sixty students, having equal number of male and female students studying mathematics in class IX, was selected from every sample school. The total number of sample students was one hundred and eighty. Students of every sample school were divided into two equal groups, i.e. experimental group and control group. Both the groups were equated on the basis of their scores by pair random sampling from the previous examination of class VIII in the subject of mathematics. Every group contained thirty students, which further divided into equal numbers of male and female students. The students of the experimental group were exposed to the teaching through ICT, whereas the students of control groups were taught through traditional method of teaching in the subject of mathematics. The effectiveness of ICT in mathematics at secondary level against traditional method of teaching was measured through five objectives: (i) To determine the effectiveness of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the academic achievement of the students (ii) To investigate the effect of ICT in the academic achievement of male and female students. (iii) To examine the effect of ICT in the academic achievement of low achievers (iv) To find out the effect of ICT in the academic achievement of high achievers. (v) To compare the effect of ICT in the academic achievements of students of public, private and garrison sectors. The units taught to both the groups were Sets, Algebraic Expressions, and Logarithm, chosen from the prescribed syllabi for class IX by FBI&SE. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, nineteen null hypotheses were formulated and tested. For statistical analysis, t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were applied. While compiling the results of students on post-test for individual schools/sectors, implementation of ICT was found effective as compared to traditional method of teaching for female students and for average ability students in mathematics at secondary level. For slow learners it was found effective for the students as a whole and for the students of public sector but least effective for the students of garrison and private sectors against traditional method of teaching, in mathematics in contrast to traditional method of teaching at secondary level. For the high ability students, ICT as a teaching strategy was least effective against traditional method of teaching in overall and in individual cases as well. Effectiveness of ICT in the comparison of sectors was more for private sector as compared to garrison sector and least for public sector in mathematics at secondary level. On the basis of the findings of this study, various recommendations were made: (i) ICT vii

might be introduced as a separate discipline in the curriculum of Pakistan from the primary level. (ii) For students to become more familiar with the use of ICT, the libraries in the educational institutions might be converted to on-line libraries. (iii) To educate students in the field of technology, the vital role of teachers might become more effective by giving them in-service and before-service training for using technology.