Balimuttajjo, Sudi
3 Publications in AERD
Author Publications
Export PDFSecondary school students' attitude towards mathematics word problems
By Wakhata, Robert
Students' positive attitude towards mathematics leads to better performance and may influence their overall achievement and application of mathematics in real-life. In this article, we present the findings of an investigation on students' attitude towards linear programming (LP) mathematics word problems (LPMWPs). An explanatory sequential quasi-experimental design involving a pre-intervention-intervention-post-intervention non-equivalent control group was adopted. A sample of 851 grade 11 Ugandan students (359 male and 492 female) from eight secondary schools (public and private) participated. Cluster random sampling was applied to select respondents from eight schools; four from central Uganda and four from eastern Uganda. The attitude towards mathematics inventory-short form (ATMI-SF) was adapted (with alpha = 0.75) as a multidimensional measurement tool for measuring students' attitude towards LPMWPs. The results revealed that students' attitude towards LPMWPs was generally negative. Enjoyment, motivation, and confidence were weekly negatively correlated while usefulness was positively correlated. Additionally, the results found no significant statistical relationship between students' attitudes towards LPMWPs and their age, gender, school location, school status, and school ownership. The discrepancy is perhaps explained by both theoretical and/or psychometric limitations, and related factors, for instance, students' academic background, school characteristics, and transitional beliefs from primary to secondary education. This study acknowledges the influence of and supplements other empirical findings on students' attitude towards learning mathematics word problems. The present study provides insight to different educational stakeholders in assessing students' attitude towards LPMWPs and may provide remediation and interventional strategies aimed at creating students' conceptual change. The study recommends that teachers should cultivate students' interests in mathematics as early as possible. Varying classroom instructional practices could be a remedy to enhance students' understanding, achievement, and, motivation in learning mathematics word problems. The teachers' continuous professional development courses should be enacted to improve instruction, assessment, and students' attitude. Overall, the study findings support the theoretical framework for enhancing the learning of mathematics word problems in general and LP in particular.
Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Mathematics Teachers: A Focus on Identifying and Correcting Sources of Students’ Misconceptions in Linear Programming
By Wakhata, Robert
This study explored the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of mathematics teachers on the topic of linear programming (LP). Specifically, the study examined the teachers’ abilities and their judgment in using their PCK to identify the sources and causes of students’ difficulties in learning LP. First, 291 mathematics teachers participated in the survey. This was followed by an interventional study involving eight teachers, four from central Uganda and four from eastern Uganda. The eight teachers were asked to explain the ideal way to teach secondary school students the topic of LP. A descriptive qualitative survey research design for multiple case studies was adopted. A LP learning questionnaire, an interview protocol, and the classroom observation scale constituted data collection tools. The results showed the existence of substantial differences in the mathematics teachers’ PCK. The students’ challenges in LP mainly stemmed from four categories of PCK (subject matter knowledge, curriculum knowledge, student knowledge, and knowledge of teaching methods and strategies). To integrate these knowledge components, teachers emphasized the development of students’ conceptual and procedural knowledge with a variety of step-by-step activities designed to promote problem-solving and inquiry for students’ understanding of LP and related concepts. This research recommends the integration and application of numerous methods for identifying and effectively overcoming students’ learning challenges in LP to enhance teacher didactical practices. Routine in-service specialized training workshops may be adopted to bring together teachers to share their experiences on the best instructional practices for enhancing and promoting students’ proficiency in mathematics and LP in particular. © Common Ground Research Networks, Robert Wakhata, Védaste Mutarutinya, Sudi Balimuttajjo, All Rights Reserved.
Effect of Active Learning through the Heuristic Problem-Solving Approach on Students’ Achievement in Linear Programming
By Wakhata, Robert
This study examined the effect of active learning through the heuristic problem-solving approach on students’ achievement in linear programming (LP). The participants were 608 eleventh-grade students from eight public and private secondary schools in central and eastern Uganda. Multistage cluster sampling was used to select participants. A mixed-method approach was used. Specifically, a pretest-posttest non-equivalent quasi-experimental design was adopted. Classroom observation and LP diagnostic tests constituted data collection tools. Eight secondary schools participated; four applied the heuristic problem-solving approach while the remaining four applied the usual conventional instructional approach. To overcome the effect of non-randomization, data were matched using propensity score matching (PSM), and the Difference in Difference (DID) estimand was used for analysis. The findings revealed that the heuristic problem-solving approach had a significant impact on students’ achievement in LP (DID = 15.40). Generally, although both groups (comparison vs treatment) appear to have improved their average scores (4% vs 20%), the paired sample t-test (t(607) = 18.41, p = .000), and the effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.65) showed that students from the treatment group exhibited proficiency in solving LP problems compared to their counterparts from the comparison group. Students from central Uganda performed better. Generally, the entire classroom observation of the treatment group revealed that students’ mathematization of LP problems, their conceptual and procedural knowledge, understanding, and application of requisite knowledge in solving novel non-routine LP and related problem contexts improved. The study recommends adopting the heuristic problem-solving approach in secondary school mathematics to enhance instruction and assessment. © Common Ground Research Networks, Robert Wakhata, Védaste Mutarutinya, Sudi Balimuttajjo, All Rights Reserved.
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