A us tralian Journal of Bas ic and A pplied Sciences , 3(3): 3036-3039, 2009 ISSN 1991-8178 © 2009, INSInet Publication
Comparisons of Mathematics Achievement, Attitude towards Mathematics and Analytical Thinking between Using the Geometer's Sketchpad Program as Media and Conventional Learning Activities 1
Renuw at Phonguttha, 2Sombat Tayraukham and 3Prasart Nuangchalerm 1
Huaymek School, Amphoe Huaymek, Kalasin, 46170 THAILAND Faculty of Education, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham 44000 THAILAND 3 Faculty of Education, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham 44000 THAILAND 2
Abs tract: This s tudy aimed to compare mathematics learning achievement entit le d P a ra b ola, attitude towards mathematics , and analytical thinking abilities of M athayoms uks a 3 (grade 9) s tudents between organization of activities u s in g t h e Geometer’s Sketchpad Program as media and organization of activities us ing convent io n a l method. They were as s igned into an experimental group of 38 s tudents who learned us ing organization of learning activities by the us e of the Geometer’s Sketchpad Program, and a control group of 39 s tudents who learned us ing the conventional orga n ization of learning activities . The res earch ins truments us ed in the s tudy included 12 les s on plans for organization of activities us ing the Geometer’s Sketchpad Program and 12 les s on plans for conven t ional organization of activities ., a 30-item of multiple-choice mathematics achievement t e s t , a 30-item analytical thinking abilit y t e s t , and a 30-item s cale on attitude towards mathematics . M ean, s tandard deviation, Pears on correlation (rx y ), t-tes t (independent s amples ), and Hotelling’s T 2 were employed for tes ting hypothes es . The findings revealed that s tudents who learned u s in g organization of activities by the us e of the Geometer’s Sketchpad Program as media had higher attitude towards mat hematics learning than thos e organization of activities Us ing conventional method at the .05 level of s tatis tical s ignificance. In addition, s tudents who learned us ing organization of activities by the us e of the Geometer’s Sketchpad Prog ram as media had higher mathematics achievement entitled, Parabola and more analytical thinking abilities than thos e who learned us ing the organization of activities us ing conventional method at t he .05 level of s ignificance Key words : M athematics A chievement, A ttitude toward mathematics , A n a ly t ical thinking, GSP Geometer's Sketch Program INTRODUCTION Comp u t e r p la y s an important role in the educational contexts . The us e of computer technology makes it eas ier to create learning environments that enhance learning competences (Brans ford e t .a l., 1999). The new technologies can help our s tudents to draw difficult unders tanding and help to create an active problem-s olving environment. Technology is promoted and effective tool to teach and learn geometry. W hen technology is us ed appropriately, it c a n p rovide a rich environment in which s tudents ’ geometric unders tanding. Computers with appropriate s oftware trans form the mathematics clas s room into a laboratory much like the environment in many clas s es . One of the importa n t v e hicles of technological chance in geometry clas s room is the us e of Geometers ’ Sketch p a d (J a c kiw , 1991). It can enhance s tudents unders tanding or will enhance the pedagogical proces s (Habre & Grunmeier, 2007), allows mathematics to be taught vis ually to the cla s s a s a whole, to s mall groups , or to individuals , als o to s erve interaction between teacher, s tuden t , and computer (Les ter, 1996; Yous if, 1997; Baharvand, 2001, Gaeddert, 2001; Baharvand, 2001; Myles , 2006; Thomps on, 2006). T h e s o ftware enables s tudents and teachers to inves tigate and cons truct unlimited geometric s hapes . The s hapes are firs t created and then they are explored, manipulated and trans formed to ideal concept (Venkataraman, 2007). This s tudy tries to s tudy way of learning mathematics through computer and technology. Two ins tructional methods are to affect learning outcomes . Organization of activities us ing the Geometer’s Sketchpad Program Corresponding Author: Prasart Nuangchalerm, Faculty of Education, M ahasarakham University, M ahasarakham 44000 THAILAND E-mail:
[email protected] 3036
Aust. J. Basic & Appl. Sci., 3(3): 3036-3039, 2009 as media and organization of activities us ing conventional method were rais ed and meas ured learning outcomes in terms of mathematics learning achievement, attitude towards mathematics , and analytical thinking abilities . The res ults of s tudy will be dis cus s ed and future clas s room applications will be cons idered. MATERIALS AND METHODS Participant: Seventy s even s tudents of Huaymek s chool, Kala s in Province were s ampled by clus ter random s ampling. They were as s igned into an experimental group of 38 s t u d e n ts who learned us ing organization of learning activities by the us e of the Geometer’s Sketchpad Program, a n d a c o n t ro l group of 39 s tudents who learned us ing the conventional organization of learning activities . Research Instruments: The res earch ins t ru me n t s u s e d in the s tudy included 12 les s on plans for organization of activities us ing the Geometer’s Ske t c h p a d P ro gram and 12 les s on plans for conventional organization of activities ., a 30-item of multiple-choice mathematics achievement tes t with dis criminat in g p owers (B) ranging .21-.63 and a reliability of .97, a 30-item analytical thinking ability tes t with difficulties (p) ranging .32-.80, dis criminating powers (r) ranging .24-.80 and a reliability of .88 ; a nd a 30-item s cale on attitude towards mathematics with dis criminating powers (rx y ) ranging .31-.73 and a reliability (á) of .93. M ean, s t a n d a rd d e v iation, Pears on correlation (rx y ), t-tes t (independent s amples ), and Hotelling’s T 2 were employed for tes ting hypothes es . Procedure: The s tudy employed two group pretes t-pos t tes t des ign, is widely us ed to compare d ifferent kind of ins tructional method. Firs tly, correlation between independent variables ; mathematics learning achievement, attitude towards mathematics , and analytical thinking ability were analy ze d b y P ears on Product Correlation Coefficient. Secondly, comparis on of attitude towards mathematics between control and experimental groups by t-tes t (ind e pendent s amples ), Finally, comparis on of mathematics learning achievement and analytical thinking ability between control and experimental group by Hotelling’s T 2 . RES ULTS AND DIS CUS S ION Correlation Between M athematics Learning Achievement, Attitude Towards M athematics, and Analytical Thinking Ability: M athematics learning achievement and analytical thinking ability were correlated by means of .01 s tatis tics different s ignificantly, but attitude towards mathematics was not difference as be s hown in Table 1. Table 1: Correlation between mathematics learning achievement, attitude towards mathematics, and analytical thinking ability. Mathematics Learning Analytical T hinking Attitude towards Achievement Ability Mathematics Mathematics learning achievement .544 .206 Sig .000 .072 Analytical thinking ability .126 Sig .274
Comparison of Attitude Towards M athematics Between Control and Experimental Groups: A ttitude towards mathematics s core of control group had lower than thos e experimental group at .05 s tatis tical differences as be s hown in Table 2. Table 2: Comparison of attitude towards mathematics between control and experimental groups Group Control Experiment
N 39 38
S.D. 11.758 16.070
97.538 105.000
t 2.320
p .012
Comparison of M athematics Learning Achievement and Analy t i c a l Thinking Ability Between Control and Experimental Groups: A verage and s tandard deviation of mathematics learning achievement and analytical thin king ability between control and experimental groups can be s hown in Table 3. In addition analys is of multiple of variance 3037
Aust. J. Basic & Appl. Sci., 3(3): 3036-3039, 2009 by comparing mathematics learning achieve me n t and analytical thinking ability between control and experimental groups as be s hown in Table 4. Table 3: Variables
Comparison of mathematics learning ach i ev em en t and analytical thinking ability between control and experimental groups by using Hotelling’s T 2 Experimental group Control group --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------S.D.
Learning achievement Analytical thinking
17.71 19.76
5.65 4.25
S.D. 13.10 19.13
6.01 4.48
Analysis of multiple of v ari an ce by comparing mathematics learning achievement and analytical thinking ability between control and experimental groups Variables criteria Value Hypothesis df Error df F p Learning activity Pillai’ s T race .161 2.0 74 7.125 .001 W ilks’s Lambda .839 2.0 74 7.125 .001 Hotelling’s T 2 .193 2.0 74 7.125 .001 Roy’s Largest Root .193 2.0 74 7.125 .001 Variables Contrast SS df MS F p Learning achievement Contrast 408.672 1 408.672 12.004 .001 Error 2553.406 75 34.045 Analytical thinking ability Contrast 7.760 1 7.760 .407 .526 Error 1431.227 75 19.083 Table 4:
M athematics learning achievement, analy t ic a l thinking ability between organization of activities us ing the Geometer’s Sketchpad Program as media and organization of activities us ing conventional me t h o d were s tatis tical s ignificantly differences at .05 Conclusions: A ttitude towards mathematics learning is not correlate to mathematics learning achievement and analytical t h inking ability. Students who learned us ing organization of activities by the us e of the Geometer’s Sketchpad Program as media had h igher attitude towards mathematics learning than thos e organization of activities us ing conventional method at th e .05 le v e l of s tatis tical s ignificance. The res ult indicate that s tudents who learned by Geometer’s Sketchpad need more t ime to implement (Yous if, 1997; Baharvand, 2001; M yles , 2006; Thomps on, 2006). The Geometer’s Sketchpad, is eas y to us e, fun to learn, bas ed on hand s -o n a c t iv it ies that s timulates s tudents inquiring mind. Students who learned us ing organization of activities by th e u s e of the Geometer’s Sketchpad Program as media had higher mathematics a c h ie vement entitled Parabola and more analytical t h in kin g a b ilities than thos e who learned us ing the organization of activities us ing conventional method at the .05 level of s ignific a n c e . Les ter (1996) Baharvand (2001) and Gaeddert (2001) als o found that s tudents to learn mathematics through direct actio n learning. Students can be made their vis ual in terms of Parabola, and interact with learning e n v iro nment. It can be concluded that the organization of activities us ing the Geometer’s Sketchpad Program as me d ia c ould engage s tudents reached mathematics in efficiently. Therefore, mathematics teachers s hould be promoted to apply this approach to pedagogical implic a t io n in the future. REFERENCES Brans ford, J., A . Brown and R. Cocking, 1999. How People Le a rn , W as hington, DC: National A cademy Pres s . Bahavand, M ., 2001. A Comparis on of the Computer-A s s is ted Ins truction Vers us T ra d it ional A pproach to Teaching Geometry. Dis s ertation A bs tracts International, 64(11). Habre, S. and T.A . Grunmeier, 2007. “Pros pective M athematics Teachers ’ Vie w s o n t h e Role of Technology in M athematics Education”, IUM PST: The Journal, 3. [www.k-12prep.math.ttu.edu]. Gaeddert, T., 2001. Us ing A ccelerated M ath to enhance Student A chievement in High School M athematics Cours es . http://www.ERIC:ED463177. Jackiw, N., 1991. The Geometer’s Sketchpad. Berkeley. CA : Key Curriculum Pres s . Les ter, M .L., 1996. The Effects of the Geometer’ Sketchpad Software on A chievement of Geometric Knowledge of High School Geometry Student. Dis s ertation A bs tracts International, 57(6).
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Aust. J. Basic & Appl. Sci., 3(3): 3036-3039, 2009 M yles , D.E., 2006. Us in g Ge ometer's Sketchpad to develop a Conceptual Unders tanding of Euclidean Geometry. Dis s ertation A bs tracts International, 67(5). Thomps on, E., 2006. Euclid, the van Hiele Levels , and the Geometer's Sketchpad. M as ter A bs tracts International, 44(6). Venkataraman, S., 2007. “Learning Triangle Properties through Sketchp ad A ctivities ”, Proceedings of the Redes igning Pedagogy: Culture, Knowledge and Unders tandingConference. Singapore. You s if. A .E., 1997. The Effect of Geometer’s Sketchpad on the A ttitude toward Geometry of High School Students . Doctoral Dis s ertation, Graduate School, Ohio Univers ity.
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