ABSTRACT
The topic of this study is: “The students and teachers Preferences of mathematics Textbook in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics in the SS 3 Classes in Imo State owned Secondary school in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State.”
It has been observed in relation to the newly developed curricula for the 6-3-3-4 system of Education that many of the science, Technology and Mathematics books previously used in our schools were found unsuitable, inadequate and expensive.
The development led to the production of textbooks to satisfy the content of the new curricula. The new texts introduced in the market in addition to the previous ones led to the existence of several textbooks on almost all the subjects left for reader to make his choice.
It is on the light of the above that the researcher has decided to embark on this study to ascertain those mathematics textbooks that met both the students and teachers’ preferences also determine the factors that made them select such books so as to be in a better position to advice book writers, the government and publishers who recommend and publish these books for use in schools.
So to carry out this assignment, the researcher decided to use the ten secondary schools owned by the Imo State government in Owerri Municipal Council. Two teachers in each school were selected along side with twenty (20) SS 3 students from each school. SS 3 students were randomly chosen because they are more matured than any other class in the school system, and are almost ready to be pushed into labour market.
Research questions were given to students and teachers to react to inform of questionnaire e.g (i) what are the mathematics textbooks preferred by the students in Owerri Municipal Council? (ii)What are the mathematics books referred by mathematics teachers in Owerri Municipal Council.
Related materials were read and certain notes were made thus: that mathematics textbooks are major factors they determine what mathematics topics are taught and how they are taught that mathematics textbooks dictate the scope, sequence and even the place of mathematics programmes. And that mathematics curriculum is the basis for writing mathematics textbooks and for implantations of national goals. As a result of this, mathematics textbooks and mathematics curriculum must go hand in hand and should not be divorced from each other. The teachers are regarded as curriculum modifiers and with relevant textbooks and sound understanding of mathematics concepts, effective and efficient teaching and learning of Mathematics is achieved.
In other to carry out this study, the researcher analyzed the information got from mathematics teachers and SS 3 students in the ten (10) secondary school in the Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State.
A sample of ten (10) schools from the area were chosen from the population. A total of twenty teachers and 200 students were randomly selected from both the teachers and students of the chosen schools respectively.
The study revealed that the books that are preferred by the students and teachers are: Macmillan mathematics, man mathematics and oxford mathematics among others.
The study also revealed that neither the teacher nor the students who were to use these books were consulted during the selection of books for recommendation. The study still revealed that the students major criteria for book selection or preference are; comprehensibility, coverage of syllabus and elaborate treatment of topics, enough of exercises and drills.
Based on the findings of the study a lot of recommendations were made for example, there is obvious need for the textbook writers, the publishers and the government to find out the mathematics teachers and students textbook preferences before publishing or recommendation of any such mathematics textbooks is made.
- Approved textbooks must be constantly reviewed to ensure its relevance.
- (ii) Approved textbook for school year must be made available to schools, teachers and students at easily affordable price.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
In view of the newly developed curricula for the 6-3-3-4 system of education, many of the sciences, Technology and Mathematics books previously used in our schools were found unsuitable, inadequate and expensive (abullahi, 1990).
This development lead to the production of textbooks to satisfy the content of the new curricula.
According to Ekpo (1988, 203) “textbooks are important learning tools, their deigns are based on principles which may reflect economics rather than intellectual concerns in anticipation for a high financial turnover. A significant aspects of students’ characteristics- their probable cognitive structure- seems to be a neglected area in designing textbooks for learning Mathematics in a meaningful ways.”
Mathematics textbooks are reputed for being loaded with varieties of illustrations to motivate pupils among other purposes (soyibo 1990).
However, Ekpo (1988, 203) asserted that “textbooks are often written on the basis of some conceived structures of knowledge. And no attempt has been made to restrict the numbers or types of approaches because some authors, publishers, and school professors seem to favour certain approaches in place of others”.
Textbook selection or preference is therefore very necessary in view of the varieties in existence.
In the opinion of the Buzor (1991. 121) “Given the importance of textbooks, it is therefore important that the correct textbooks be chosen for particular groups of learners undergoing instruction within specified socio-pedagogil on texts. Choosing the right textbooks would have major beneficial effects on the quality of instruction and on learner’s ability to benefit from instruction, all other things being equal”.
The choice of correct textbooks for use in the secondary schools must be guided by convincing and satisfactory criteria. Whether the selection is to be made by the government, the teacher, the student or an enthusiastic reader, there has to be an order, pattern, characteristics, or bases for making the preference.
Ihebuzor (1991:121) confirmed this opinion when he said, “But for one to select properly one needs a set of valid and defensible criteria to influence one’s judgement as to the relative merits of a particular textbook”.
In Nigeria, secondary school textbooks are usually recommended by the Ministry of Education of the State. The use of Government recommended textbooks that do not suit the student’s preference influences the student attitudes towards that subject. When negative attitude are developed due to wrong texts, poor performance will follow. Ajewole (1991:401) agreed with this view when he said that “the attitude an individual has influences his or her learning of science and his or her use of scientific information to a considerable degree”.
The use of students’ teachers choice textbooks stimulates the desire to read in them, hence adopting a positive attitude for the subject, students and teachers always refer to texts to acquire desired knowledge, hence texts influence teaching and learning of both students and teachers.
According to Ajewole (1990:59) “All science teachers today are thus faced with the organization of instruction, in such a way, as to facilitate learning for the majority of the students to aid positive and lateral transfer. Most students therefore rely on their own mode of reading once they have the texts of their choice for a particular subject. They often achieve success since they easily memorize and recall what they read. Ajewole (1990:59), also share this opinion when he said that “pupils have tended to memorize facts and principles, most of which they do not understand, only to regurgitate them during the examinations”.
Lack of interest in reading a recommended textbook that do not satisfy students and teachers’ need might make them not to comprehend or memorize any part of the content, choice text-books at times help to fill the vaccum or bridge the gap created by the teaching method.
The importance of recommending for use in our secondary schools, those textbooks that satisfy students and teachers preferences has not been fully explored. Mathematics as a natural science requires proper knowledge of skills and concepts for interpretation of natural phenomena. This will not be possible if students and teachers are not exposed to textbooks that suit their interest to acquire knowledge of the subject.
The style of presentation of the content of a textbook and the level of communicational skill used might affect the teacher’s interest and use of a textbooks. This view is also applicable in the student’s interest and use of any mathematics textbooks. If the content and the communicational level is above the cognitive level of a student, students are bound to show disregard and lack of interest in the textbook. Any recommended textbook (especially in mathematics) which does not take cognizance of cognitive levels of the students is bound to meet rebuff and rejection by the students. The students will usually not understand or comprehend properly the desired learning from the textbook and may not even bother to purchase one or read it if available.
The textbook might influence the students perception of mathematics as a subject and in turn influence their choice and use of mathematics textbooks. They tend to use and gain jealously the mathematics textbooks of their choice which they consider a major tool for their success. Recommending mathematics textbooks that fail to satisfy them may lead to lack of interest and negative attitude such as absenting themselves from mathematics lessons.
According to Ivoki (1984) and Soyibo (1985), poor attitudes of many mathematics teachers to teaching and poor method of teaching mathematics attracts poor result annually in the school certificate mathematics. This is because the attitude of the subject teachers towards the subject he teaches in turn influences the students’ attitude and performance in the subject. A mathematics teacher may develop a Luke-warm attitude towards teaching if the recommended mathematics textbook as a instructional tool did not satisfy his taste. To this class of mathematics teachers, the mathematics textbooks of their choice serves them better as instructional tool, stimulates the desire to teach and in turn they do their job accordingly and satisfactorily.
In some schools, the mathematics teachers rush their lessons, the expected learning experiences not realized and the objective of the lesson not achieved. In such a situation, students do not adequately benefit from the teachers. Such students then fall back on their mathematics textbooks, hence the need to consider students preferences of mathematics textbooks, since unacceptable texts affects their interest negatively in reading the subject as well as their performance.
A teacher may prefer mathematics textbook he considered most suitable to his method of teaching the subject, and the content presented in a manner that the curriculum for mathematics students will be achieved and learning transfer accomplished. Due to different methods and styles of teaching mathematics in Nigerian secondary schools, adopted by different mathematics teachers, the mathematics textbook preferences may vary according to the teacher’s teaching methodology. Therefore, recommending a mathematic textbook which the teacher considers unsuitable and ineffective affects his/her input in the teaching of mathematics. When the teacher’s method of instruction fails to achieve results due to the use of ‘wrong’ mathematics textbooks, the students performances will be negatively affected.
Also a teacher may lack interest and commitment to his job if the methods of instruction as contained in the recommended mathematics textbook(s) demands more than he can offer. He may begin to be late or absent during mathematics lessons or teach unsatisfactorily. The use of texts preferred by these teachers rekindles their interest and commitment on the job. They have to believe in the mathematics textbook(s) before the can effectively use it/them.
The senior secondary school mathematics teacher is expected to posses the professional competency in both practical and theoretical knowledge of mathematics which is necessary for effective teaching and learning. A mathematics teacher requires his choice textbook in order to satisfy the above requirement. A situation where recommended or available mathematics textbooks(s) in the school does not suit the interest of the mathematics teacher, he becomes handicapped and his expected performance will be jeopardized. Therefore, to achieve the societal expectation of the mathematics teacher’s role, the teacher should be equipped with mathematics textbooks of his choice.
In the school certificate mathematics syllabus, students complain of difficulty to understand certain units contained, and mathematics teachers consider them difficult to teach in the classroom. Some of the units concerned include longitude and latitude, construction, statistics and probability.
According to Fakunle (1986:27) “Curriculum researchers in Nigeria particularly in Oyo State of Nigeria have revealed the non-challant attitude of students and teachers in the secondary schools towards certain concepts in the mathematics curriculum, especially towards longitude and latitude”.
The use of scientific approach in writing the text may interest the teacher and students. Mathematics as a bed-rock of science is a dynamic discipline, not static. The use of scientific approach devoid of obsolete and discarded ideas in writing the text may interest the mathematic teachers and students. They cannot work effectively without current and up-to-date mathematics textbook(s) in the school. Any recommended mathematics textbook that does not satisfy teachers and students in this direction leads to negative attitude on their part and ineffective teaching-learning environment.
It is an obvious truth that there are too many mathematics textbooks in circulation in Nigeria today. The Government often recommend and indiscriminately change the recommend texts without considering mathematics teachers and students preferences. This indiscriminate change could lead to difficulty in understanding the new texts and the discontinued use of the previous texts by children of the same poor parents who are geometrically in class in the secondary schools. Indiscriminate change of mathematics textbooks by the Ministries of Education might lead to introducing one that is not consistent with the students and teachers interest. This will hinder their performance. The mathematics teacher and students need to be consulted before any recommendation or change of mathematics textbook(s) could be made.
It is in recognition of the important role the subject mathematics play in science and technological development that this study considers the text preference of students and mathematics teacher. The expected success of students and teacher might be inhibited if selection of texts, for their choice and preference. This might be a contributing factor for the under achievement of students in science in public examination.
This factor demands for special attention by both the Government that recommend texts for secondary schools and the publishers who publish textbooks for use in schools. This is to ensure that the desired objective of obtaining the knowledge of the subject studies is achieved. When the objective is realized, there will be increase in the number of people who pursue science based courses in higher institutions. This in turn helps the Government to realize her goal of science and technological advancement of the nation.
This study is not a comparison for competing mathematics textbooks, or the pattern of usage of mathematics textbooks, or their readability but an attempt was made to determine the mathematics textbook preference of students of mathematics as well as the characteristics or reasons that influenced their choice.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
In contemporary society where several educationists had been produced in the field of mathematics. Several mathematics textbooks of different quality and content have been produced by these experts. Hence the need to choose or select from the whole lot of mathematics textbooks, the ones that will be relevant and easily understood by the users, mostly teachers and students for a better performance.
However, the mathematics textbooks use in our senior secondary schools are recommended by the Government through the Ministry of Education. The Education Administrators, Principal and Teachers only convey to the students the list or names of Government approved textbooks for their purchase and use. This recommendation in most cases were done without regard to the students and mathematics teachers preference for mathematics textbooks.
This often constitute a problem which affects the performance of both teachers and students in teaching and learning of mathematics. In order to make appropriate choice of mathematics textbooks, the students and teachers preference or interest should be considered.
It is often problem selecting mathematics textbooks that are preferred by both the students, the teachers, and the government for better results in mathematics teaching and learning.
A preliminary survey conducted by me show that in Nigeria today, there are opinions on the students and teachers preference for mathematics textbooks. Some students preferences for mathematics texts are not synonymous with the teachers choice and the Government recommended ones. To some other their preferences might be in agreement with that of the teachers and perhaps the Government.
However, some people argue that where the students and teachers choice of mathematics textbooks differ, it affects students participation in mathematics lessons and their performance in mathematics examination. This study therefore considered it important to determine the students and mathematics teachers textbook preference.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
It is a known fact that for any school to function efficiently, there must be good equipment in terms of textbooks for individual students. The need for mathematics textbooks in teaching and learning of mathematics cannot be over-emphasized. In Nigeria, the Government recommends textbooks for use in the secondary schools. These mathematics textbooks inclusive, in most cases do not satisfy the students and teachers preference. The most probable reason being that they were not consulted in making the selection and their interests are not adequately covered or considered.
It is also a common knowledge that most publishers had never though it necessary to research on the students and teachers textbook preferences and characteristics before publishing their text in various subject areas. Although few related studies might have been carried out.
This study will not necessarily consider other factors that millate against good performance of secondary school candidate in science based subjects in public examinations, especially mathematics but will consider students and mathematics teachers textbook preference and the characteristics that influence their choice. The probable effect of the Government recommenced text on students performance in school certificate mathematics examination will not be studied.
In Owerri Municipal local Government Area of Imo State, there has been persistent imposition of the Government approved textbooks in the recent past years and recorded poor results in mathematics in public examination. The choice of textbooks with out considering the students and teachers preference has not been studied as a factor that could lead to student’s poor results in public examinations.
The objectives of this study therefore are to:-
- Investigate the students and teachers preferences for mathematics textbook.
- Determine the factors or text characteristics that influence their choice.
- Establish if there are commonly preferred mathematics texts by both teachers and students.
- Recommend the preferred texts and characteristics to Ministries of Education, Publishers and other interested bodies.
1.4 Significance of the Study
Mathematics as a bed-rock of science is indispensable if a nation will attain technological advancement and development, knowledge of the relevant mathematics textbooks that most students and teachers preferences will definitely guide both the Government and the publishers on the appropriate quality and type of texts most suitable for better results in mathematics teaching and learning.
This will encourage publishers of mathematics texts to improve on the quality, the quantity, the content and the coverage of the book. It will also help to identify teacher perceptions of the roles of textbooks in curriculum and in their students learning.
This study will serve as a guide to the Ministry of Education and the Government in recommending mathematics textbooks for use in secondary schools in Nigeria.
With these objectives achieved, students and teachers interest in teaching and learning of mathematics will be enhanced. This will lead to students obtaining good results in public examinations such as school certificate mathematics examinations. Good performance in teaching and learning of mathematics will go a longer way to assist in achieving the expected technological advancement in Nigeria.
Parents, teachers and students will then have increased value for their money.
1.5 Scope and Delimitation of the Study
This study is limited to all the state Government owned senior secondary schools in Owerri Municipal Council Area of Imo State where mathematics is studied.
There are only ten of them comprising two Girls’ secondary schools, five boys secondary school and three co-educational secondary school. All the ten school are located in the urban.
It is pertinent to mention that the Federal Government College Owerri is situated in Owerri Urban and offer mathematics as a subject even in the certificate exams, but was not chosen for this study because it is Federal Government owned since this study is limited to secondary schools owned by Imo State Government that is situated in Owerri Municipal Council Area. The recommendations of this study will be communicated to Imo State Government for her guidance in textbooks recommendation for her secondary schools. Federal government Owned colleges therefore outside the scope of this study and will not be considered.
The size for this study is limited to Owerri Municipal Council Area because of the researcher’s financial and the constraint to extend it to either the entire Owerri Educational zone or all the senior secondary schools in Imo State. The entire relevant population used were drawn from both male, female and co-educational secondary schools in Owerri Municipal Council Area. Only the mathematics teachers and SS 3 students were used.
Inspite of the limitations mentioned above, this study however represents the mathematics teachers and students mathematics textbooks preferences in Imo State. In Owerri Municipal Council Area, there are about fifteen secondary schools but this study is confined to the Imo State Government owned secondary schools, in Owerri Municipal Council listed in table 1.
Table 1: Imo State Government Owned Senior Secondary Schools in Owerri Municipal Council Area.
- Comprehensive Development Secondary School Owerri (CDSS).
- Emmanuel College Owerri (ECO)
- Government Technical College Owerri (GTC)
- Government Secondary School Owerri.
- Holy Ghost College Owerri.
- Owerri Girls’ Secondary School Owerri.
- Ikenegbu Girls’ Secondary School Owerri.
- Comprehensive Secondary School Amakohia
- Urban Secondary School New Owerri.
- Boys Secondary School New Owerri.
CO-EDUCATION
- Comprehensive Development Secondary School Owerri.
- Comprehensive Secondary School Amakohia
- Urban Development Secondary School New Owerri.
It is assumed that conditions inherent in these secondary schools are the same in all other Government Owned secondary schools in Imo State.
1.6 Research Questions
This study is expected to provide answers to the following research questions:-
- What are the mathematics textbooks preferred by students in Owerri Municipal council secondary schools?
- What are the mathematics textbooks preferred by mathematics teachers in Owerri Municipal Council Secondary Schools?
- What are the mathematics textbooks commonly preferred by both teachers and students?
