ABSTRACT

This study was designed to investigate the effect ofDigital Technology Learning Strategy on Students’ Interest and Academic Achievement in Mathematics in Abia State, Nigeria. This study adopted pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design. Four specific purposes, four research questions and four null hypotheses guided this study. The population of the study consisted of 3150 Senior Secondary (SSI) mathematics students of 2021 /2022 academic session and the sampled school consisted of one hundred (100) students purposively selected in a co-educational school. The sample school comprised forty-eight (48) males and fifty-two (52) females. Two intact classes were used. One intact class was for the control group and the other for experimental group. The instruments used for data collection were Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) and Mathematics Interest Inventory Test (Mil). The instruments were validated by two mathematics experts and an expert in Measurement and Evaluation with the reliability coefficient of 0.82. Research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Results showed that digital technology learning strategy was effective in enhancing students’ interest and academic achievement in mathematics as students taught using the strategy had mean interest of 92.20 while those taught with the conventional method had 60.72 at post-test and mean achievement scores of 61.64 for those taught using digital technology learning strategy and a mean score of 47.24 for those taught using the conventional method.. Futher more, gender has significant influence on students’ interest and academic achievement in mathematics when taught using digital technology learning strategy. The mean interest scores and achievement scores of male students taught mathematics using the strategy was 97.34 and 63.0 respectively in favour of the male students. Recommendations were made which include among others that mathematics teachers should consider implementing the use of digital technology learning strategy in teaching - learning of mathematics concepts thereby making the teaching student-centered. This will arouse students’ interest and solve the problem of poor academic achievement in mathematics.