Abstract

ANALYSIS OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS? GENDER- BASED ERRORS COMMITTED IN SOLVING FRACTION PROBLEMS IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Adigun, Olatunde Thomas Ph.D.

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Abstract Fraction is one of the concepts in mathematics that students take for granted. Consequently they commit errors when solving problems involving fractions. West African Examinations Council Chief Examiners? reports, on Mathematics in May/June 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2016 revealed students? poor performances in simplification of fractions. This study therefore examined the type of errors committed in solving fraction problems by SS II students in Oyo State. The objectives of this study were to: (i) identify and analyse the type of errors committed by students in solving compound, algebraic and word problems involving fractions; (ii) determine the number of times each of the identified errors were committed; and (iii) determine the errors committed in solving fraction problems based on students? gender. The study was descriptive type involving qualitative and quantitative analysis and the population for the study consisted of all the senior secondary school students in Oyo State. The target population was SSII. The sample comprised 264 male and 276 female students drawn from 18 coeducational schools. The research instruments were: (1) a researcher-developed Mathematical Problems Test on Fractions (MPTF); and (2) Newman?s Procedure Focused Interview (NPFI). MPTF was validated and a reliability index of 0.83 was obtained using test retest approach and Pearson?s Product Moment correlation formula. The research questions were answered using percentages, while the research hypotheses were tested using Chi-square statistics. Findings of the study revealed that: students committed seven, six, and four types of errors in compound, algebraic and word problems involving fractions respectively; fact error of Least Common Multiple(LCM) was committed in 523 times; incorrect operations (117 times), incorrect procedures (349 times), missing steps (145 times)`, Comprehension (428 times), transformation (427 times), procedure (427 times) and encoding errors (427 times); no significant difference existed in the errors committed by male and female students in solving compound fractions; significant difference existed in the errors committed by male and female students in solving algebraic and word problems involving fractions in favour of male students as ?2(3)=10.58, p<0.05 and ?2(2)=6.15, p<0.05 respectively. Keywords: Gender,Error committed and Fraction Problems.

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