EFFECT OF HANDS-ON GAMES ON STUDENTS'ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS IN ABAK LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

This study investigated on Effect of Hands-on games on Students' Academic Achievement in Junior Secondary School Mathematics in Abak Local Governmemt Area. Two research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Quasi-experimental research design was adopted for the study and was restricted to Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The population of the study one thousand seven hundred and fifteen (1715) consisted of all junior secondary school 2 students of 2021/2022 academic session in all the 11 public co-education schools in Abak Local Government Area. A sample of 110 JSS2 students constituted the study. The instruments used for data collection were Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT). The note of the lesson was on the concept of Probability. The instruments were validated by an expert in Test and Measurement in the Department of Science Education, Faculty of Education, Akwa Ibom State University and two experienced Mathematics teachers in the senior secondary school. The instrument was trial-tested on 20 students (10 males and 10 females) who were not part of the study to obtain thereliability of the study. The reliability correlation coefficient of a=0.96 was obtained. Data collected were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and independent t-test. The result of the study revealed that students who were taught using hands-on game benefited from the learning approach thereby achieving better than those that were taught without using hands-on games. Also, the result showed that male students benefited more in the use of hands-on games instructional approach in learning Mathematics thereby achieving higher than their female counterparts. The researcher recommended among others that Ministry of Education and relevant academic,professional bodies like Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Science Teachers'Association of Nigeria (STANV), Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) should enlighten the use of games in instructional settings. Government should ensure adequate provision of mathematics and science instructional approaches like hands-on games at secondary school levels.