EFFECT OF SIMULATION-GAMES STRATEGY ON RETENTION AND PERFORMANCE IN TRIGONOMETRY AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY STUDENTS IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of Simulation-Games Strategy on Retention and Performance in Trigonometry among
Senior Secondary Students in Niger State, Nigeria. A Non-equivalent Control Group design with retention follow-up which
used pre-test post-test control group (retention test) design was adopted. The study used SSII students with a population
of 20,154 and sample size of 190 selected from four schools randomly assigned to experimental and Control group(s). Two
research questions and two hypotheses were formulated and investigated. Forty items research instruments of
Trigonometry Performance Test (TPT) and Trigonometry Retention Test (TRT) with reliability coefficient of 0.75 and 0.71
respectively were used for data collection. Research questions were analysed using means, mean and standard deviations.
t-test statistics was used for hypotheses testing at α = 0.05 level of significance. The results indicated that, there was
significant difference among the mean retention ability and performance of students taught Trigonometry using
Simulation-Games strategy and conventional teaching method; and that the Simulation-Games strategy was significantly
more effective than the conventional teaching method. Based on the findings it is recommended among others that the use
of Simulation-Games strategy for teaching Mathematics and Trigonometry should be encouraged in Nigerian secondary
schools to improve their retention ability and performance in Trigonometry