EFFECT OF VAN HIELE MODEL ON PEDAGOGICAL ABILITIES OF UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION STUDENTS IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the effect of van Hiele’s geometric model on pedagogical
abilities of undergraduate mathematics education teachers (pre-service teachers) in Niger
state, Nigeria. Two research questions and two hypotheses were formulated to guide the study.
The design adopted for the study is a quasi-experimental, specifically, static group comparison
design was used in the study. One hundred (56 males and 44 females) university undergraduate
mathematics education students from two selected universities in Niger state were used as
research sample. The sample universities were selected using purposive sampling technique.
Geometry Teaching Practice Assessment (GTPS) was the instrument used for data collection
for the study. It consisted of two parts. Part one evaluated the geometry lesson structure
consisted of instructional units in line with van Hiele’s phase-based instruction while Part two,
evaluated the teacher’s presentation of the geometry lesson in classroom. A reliability
coefficient of 0.81 was obtained. The data was analyzed using independent samples t-test. The
hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that
significant difference exists between the mean scores of undergraduate mathematics teachers
with geometric pedagogical abilities and those without geometric pedagogical abilities.
However, no significant gender difference exists among male and female undergraduate
mathematics education teachers with geometric pedagogical abilities. It was recommended
among others, that emphasis should be laid on continued training of university undergraduate
mathematics education student on geometry pedagogy even, after graduation so as to keep
them well-informed of existing researches in geometry teaching and learning practices.