Effect of Explicit Teaching Strategy and Collaborative Learning Approach on Students’ Motivation, Achievement and Retention in Mathematics in Benue State, Nigeria

This study examined the effect of collaborative learning and explicit teaching strategy on students’ motivation, achievement and retention in mathematics in Benue State, Nigeria. The study adopted Quasi-experimental design. The population of the study was 36,286 SS1 students in 749 secondary schools in Benue State. A sample of 180 students were selected from the three educational zones in Benue State using the simple random sampling technique. Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) and Mathematics Motivation Inventory (MMI) were employed for data collection and it was analyzed using Mean, Standard Deviation and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results showed that there was a significant difference in the mean achievement score of students taught mathematics with collaborative learning approach and explicit teaching strategy. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the mean retention score of students taught mathematics with collaborative learning approach and explicit teaching strategy. Finally, there was a significant difference in the motivation score of students taught mathematics with the collaborative learning approach and explicit teaching strategy. The study concluded that the collaborative learning approach improved students’ motivation, achievement and retention in mathematics more than the explicit teaching strategy. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education should fast-track the process of incorporating the collaborative learning approach in subjects like mathematics for effective teaching and learning of the subject.