RETHINKING PRIMARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHING: A FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT APPROACH

Abstract

The performance of mathematics at national examinations at the end of primary is worrying all over the globe

and researchers and scholars continue to examine how student’s achievement in the subject can be raised.

Formative assessment classroom teaching strategy, ‘FACTS’ is an interactive teaching strategy which involves

observing and gathering valuable information during instruction process about a student’s thinking as they solve

mathematics tasks. The strategy is grounded in the instructional cycle of engaging students in interesting learn

ing activities, assessing, analyzing and providing corrective instruction. The main purpose of the study was to

determine the effect of ‘FACTS’ on mathematics academic achievement among primary schools pupils. The

sample of the study consisted of 140 students in class 6 from public primary school in Kenya. Data was collect

ed by administering a pretest and a posttest of a standardized achievement exam to the experimental and control

groups. The reliability of the exam was tested through experts’ judgment who established that the instrument

had strong content and internal validity. The data was analyzed using Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and

the significant level of 0.05 was used in order to determine the effect of the strategy on mathematics academic

achievement. Research findings revealed that there is a significant effect of ‘FACTS’ on pupil’s mathematics

academic achievement as shown by statistical results of F=131.14, p=0.00<0.05.