Effects of van Hiele’s phase-based teaching strategy and gender on pre-service mathematics teachers’ attitude towards geometry in Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the effects of van Hiele’s phase-based teaching strategy and gender on pre-service mathematics teacher attitude towards geometry in Niger state, Nigeria. The study employed pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design using a two-by-two (2x2) factorial matrix with one experimental and control group. The experimental group was exposed to Van Hiele’s phase-based teaching strategy while the control group was taught the same topics with conventional teaching strategy. Three null hypotheses with corresponding research question were formulated to guide the study. Attitudes Towards Geometry questionnaire (ATGQ) was the instrument employed to collect data from 149 sampled pre-service mathematics teachers from the two colleges of education situated in Niger State, Nigeria. The sample colleges were selected using purposive sampling technique.  A reliability coefficient of 0.73 was obtained for Attitudes Towards Geometry questionnaire.  Two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was employed in analysing the data at 0.05 level of significance. The results of the study revealed that van Hiele’s phase-based teaching strategy is more effective in improving pre-service mathematics teachers’ attitude towards geometry. It was recommended among others, that since van Hiele phase-based teaching strategy was found to be effective in enhancing pre-service mathematics teacher attitude towards geometry, the strategy should be employed by lecturers in course of teaching students. The teacher education programme should be geared towards training of mathematics lecturers to learn van Hiele phase-based teaching strategy as it supports effective teaching and learning which thereby improving learners’ attitudes towards learning geometry.