Frimpomaa Arphul A.

Sandra

200045099

USING GAME BOARD TO HELP BASIC 5 LEARNERS SOLVE ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSION IN SEGE
PRESBY NO.2 SCHOOL.

CHAPTER ONE

I. INTRODUCTION

1.0: Overview

This chapter focuses on the background to the study, statement of the problem, purpose and

objectives of the study. It also deals with the research questions, significance of the study,

limitations and delimitation of the study, definition of terms and organization of the study.

1.1: Background to the Study

There is an increasing and continuous demand for good scientist and technicians all over

the world. This has created the need for greater and quicker development of science and

technical education. People who wish to keep in touch with development need a wider

knowledge of mathematics, which has become the bedrock of scientific advancement.

In response to the fast changes in the society, Ghana has developed and maintained compulsory

mathematics curriculum for all levels of education, starting from basic school to tertiary

institution to pave way for pupils to acquire relevant mathematical idea needed for technological

development of the country. It is not easy to give one simple straight forward answer to what

mathematics is.

The history of mathematic offers interesting information about the development of

mathematical knowledge within a culture and across different cultures (Radford, 1997).
Mathematics is a branch of science, which deals with numbers and their operations. It involves

calculation, computation, solving of problems etc. Mathematics is the science of numbers and

space or Mathematics is the science of measurement, quantity and magnitude. It is exact, precise,

systematic and logical subject.

Mathematics teaching is very important for intellectual developments, there is no other

subject in the curriculum like mathematics which makes students brain active. Problem solving

helps in the development of mental faculties. Mental work is needed to solve mathematics

problems. If a child, has a mathematical problem his/her brain becomes active in solving that

problem. Each problem of the mathematics possesses such sequence which is necessary for

constructive and creative process. In this way, all-mental abilities of child are developed through

mathematics.

Moreover, mathematics makes the man very calculative so that he/she can economies time,

money, speech, thought etc. It develops a strong will power, patience and self-reliance. It, also

develop the faculty of discovery and invention.

Mathematics as stated by Asarfo Adjei (2005), is a subject that deal with the ways of

finding answers to problem using our knowledge of shape and measure in everyday life using

numbers in country and thinking for ourselves in seeing and using relationship. From this

thought, it means that mathematics is a subject that enables us to calculate, reason logically,

apply our knowledge of shape and space to find answers to problems that confront us daily. It

implies that, it is a very important subject in all levels and pupils’ in basic school must be taught

not only how to solve particular problem, but also understand why the method is used in

teaching. In this case it is the role of the teacher to encourage pupils in practical activities by

manipulating TLM’s and to find out mathematical rule or concept themselves. This is advocated
by Richard Skemp (1994), and Chinese proverb quoted by Nuffield mathematics Textbook

(1994), as “I hear I forget, I see I remember, I do I understand”. From this point of view, the

researcher attempted to make teaching and learning of mathematics practically oriented so that

pupils’ will participate effectively in the lesson. Mathematics is of central importance to modern

society. It provides the vital under pinning of the knowledge of economy. It is essential in the

physical sciences, technology, business, financial services and many areas of ICT. It is also of

growing importance in biology, medicine and many of the social sciences.

Mathematics forms the basis of most scientific and industrial research and development.

Increasingly, many complex systems and structures in the modern world can only be understood

using mathematics and much of the design and control of high-technology system depends on

mathematical inputs and outputs.

One of the practical topics in mathematics is algebraic expression. Algebraic expression is

the result of adding things together also when variables are used with other numbers or

operations they create an algebraic expression. In all aspect of human life, mathematics is

needed. Farmers, shopkeepers in their store, and market places apply the concept of algebraic

expression during their daily activities. But on the contrary most pupils’ of today attach little

importance to the learning of mathematics and for that matter do not learn it. This case is not

different from pupils’ of Sege Presby No.2 Basic five.

During the study at Sege Presby No.2 basic five, it was seen that most of the pupils’ performed

poorly after an evaluation exercise was administered. The problem was due to the fact that the

teacher did not use concrete material and correct approach in teaching the topic. As a result,

pupils’ have developed a negative attitude towards the subject. This prompted the researcher to

research strongly into the problem.

situated in Sege, a sub town of Ada which is part of Greater Accra region in Ghana. Sege

township is along the Aflao road which 41.4km drive from Tema and 39.6km drive from

Sogakope in the Volta region, the population of the town is about two thousand. Occupation of

most of the people is farming, salt mining and others are traders. The occupation of this

community affects the punctuality of the pupils, thus making them to have fewer attendance to

mathematics period and also be sleeping in class. At times these pupils follow their parents to

farm and some to market before and even during classes hours.

TLM’s are materials and equipment that can be used to arouse and maintain pupils’ attention and

sustain their interest in what is being taught (Dosso, 2001). It is therefore necessary that teachers

provide these teaching and learning materials during teaching periods. Due to the diverse ways in

which teaching learning materials help both the teacher and the pupils, the researcher believes

that the problem at hand can be rectified when an improvised game board is designed and use

appropriately in the lesson presentation and facilitate pupils’ understanding and let them have

interest in mathematics as subject.

1.2: Statement of the Problem

It is an indisputable fact that through addition, multiplication and subtraction, one can

easily solve basic problems relating to Mathematics. It is with this idea that the mathematics

syllabus is well structured in such a manner that every Ghanaian child of school going age is

expected to be introduced to addition right from the basic one (1).It is however a big problem to

find pupils in Basic five at Sege Presby No.2 Primary who upon their early stages of introduction

to addition of algebraic expression as contained and expected to be achieved in the curriculum

still find problem in solving addition of simple algebraic expressions.

52 pupils on addition of algebraic expressions. After marking, it was realized that the pupils did

not perform well. As a result of the answers some of them gave, the researcher then identified the

pupils’ problem to be inability to understand the topic “addition of algebraic expressions”.

1.3: Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the study is to improve the performance of the pupils of Basic five of

Sege Presby No.2 Primary School on the topic “Addition of Algebraic Expressions”.

1.4: Objective of the study

1. To identify the causes of the pupils’ inability to solve addition of algebraic expressions.

2. To identify solutions to the causes of pupils’ inability to do simple calculation on addition

of algebraic expressions.

3. To design a game to teach the concept of addition of algebraic expressions.

1.5: Research Questions

In order to carry out the study effectively, the researcher were guided by the following

research questions.

1. What are the causes of Sege Presby No.2 Basic five (5) pupil’s inability to understand the

topic ‟Addition of Algebraic Expressions”?

2. What steps should be taken to improve the knowledge of Basic five pupils on the

“addition of algebraic expressions” in Sege Presbyterian No.2 Primary School?

understanding of Basic five pupils of Sege Presby No.2 Primary School on the concept, “addition

of algebraic expressions”?

1.6: Significance of the Study

The outcome of the study will be very helpful to pupils, teachers and educational

planners as well. Thus, it will help improve pupils’ interest in mathematics as they interact with

the concrete material.

Again, it will help teachers to use varieties of teaching methods and techniques in teaching for

pupils to easily catch up concept.

In addition, the findings of the study will be very beneficial to other teachers in guiding

them to develop and use teaching and learning aids during teaching.

To crown it all, this action research will serve as a reference book for all and sundry

especially educationists and curriculum planners, so that they can contribute their quota

effectively to the growth and development of our country Ghana.

1.7: Delimitations

This research is focused on the use of instructional materials to improve on difficulty in

addition of algebraic expressions among Basic five (5) Pupils of Sege Presby No.2 Primary

School, Ada Sege in the Greater Accra of Ghana.

1.8: Limitations

This project was conducted at Sege Presby No.2 Primary School with Basic five (5)

Pupils who have difficulties in addition of algebraic expressions. The study would have covered
the whole district primary pupils but due to limited time, financial constraints, transportation and

inadequate instructional materials, the researcher was limited to only Basic five (5) Pupils of

Sege Presby No.2 Primary School at Sege in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

1.9: Definition of Terms/Abbreviation

 No.2 - Number 2

 I.C.T – Information and Communication technology

 TLM’s – Teaching and Learning Materials

 Presby – Presbyterian

 Mathematics – From the New Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, “mathematics

is the study of numbers, shapes and space using reason and usually with a special system

of symbols and rules for organizing them".

 Algebraic expression – Algebraic expression is a mathematical expression that consists

of variables, numbers and operation.

1.10: Organization of the Study

The first chapter of this study covers the introductory section. It spells out the background

of the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, objective of the study, research

questions, significance of the study, delimitation, limitation, definition of terms/abbreviation and

organization of the study.

Chapter two deals with review of related literature which consists of overview, written

materials and opinions of experts in the field understudy. It also talks about the meaning of

mathematics, the concept of algebra, the concept of algebraic expression, causes of pupils’

inability to add algebraic expression and uses of teaching and learning materials in teaching.
 Chapter three, which is the methodology, entails the research design, population, sample

and sampling procedure, intervention processes and data analysis procedures.

Chapter four is the analysis and discussion of findings. It also represents the results on the

study conducted.

Chapter five is the conclusive part of the research which consists of summary, suggestions,

conclusion and recommendations.