Abstract:
This study was undertaken to help pre-service teachers to improve their
understanding of matrices in the form of systems of linear equations using Drive5
at Mampong Technical College of education in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It
specifically sought to find out the impact of the Derive5 (ICT) utility application
software on the performance and errors in their computational skills in handling
matrices. A convenience sampling technique was used to select 30 second year
pre-service teachers of 2E class due to proximity and accessibility for the study.
The researcher used an observation, interview, pre-test and post-test techniques to
find out the impact of the Derive5 use on the pre-service teachers‟ mathematical
and computational skills so far as matrices are involved.
The results of the study revealed pre-service teachers‟ errors in computational
skills such as error in sequence of multiplication, getting rid of matrix, product of
matrices and concept of the use of determinant. The results indicated that there
was a difference in pre-test and post-test scores with respect to the means and
standard deviations with the latter better in terms of pre-test mean and SD of 3.90
and 2.05 and post-test mean and SD of 6.40 and 2.67. The results of the t-test
(29df, t=6.335, and p=0.00) further indicated that the difference in means were
significant at p=0.00. This implied that the Derive5 improved pre-service
teachers‟ ability to deal with mathematical problems involving matrices and
computational skills in mathematics
Description:
MASTERS‟ THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF RESEARCH AND
GRADUATE STUDIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA,
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD
OF A MASTER OF EDUCATION DEGREE IN MATHEMATICS
AUGUST 2012.
