Impact of Concept-Mapping Instructional Strategy on Attitude and Performance in Algebra among Senior Secondary School Students in Zaria, Kaduna State

This research investigated the impact of Concept-Mapping Instructional Strategy on Attitude and Performance in Algebra among Senior Secondary School Students in Zaria, Kaduna Nigeria. A pretest posttest, quasi experimental design was used to carry out the study. A sample of 110 students, out of 2,345 mathematics students from two schools out of public senior secondary schools in the zone, was randomly selected. In this study, two research objectives were raised, two research questions were asked and two hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. Two research instruments were used in the study, namely: Algebraic Performance Test (APT) and Algebraic Attitudinal Questionnaire (AAQ). The two instruments were validated by experts. The reliability coefficients of APT and AAQ were calculated to be 0.81 and 0.79 respectively. Mean, Mean Rank, Standard Deviations were used to describe the data; while independent sample t-test, and Mann Whitney U- test were used in testing the hypothesis, the findings revealed that there is significant change in attitude mean rank of students taught Algebra using concept mapping with their counterpart using lecture Method. More so, a significant difference in academic performance scores of SSII mathematics students taught Algebra using concept mapping with those using lecture method in favor of the experimental group. The study concludes that the academic performance in algebra concepts can be enhanced significantly by the use of concept-mapping. Based on these findings, it was recommended among others that Secondary School Mathematics teachers should frequently employ the use of concept mapping in teaching Algebra and other topics in mathematics. Keywords: Concept-Mapping, Attitude, Instructional Strategy and Academic Performance