Peer Instruction and Secondary School Students Motivation to Learn Vectors in Bungoma County; Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to document the influence of peer instruction and conventional methods of instruction on students’ motivation to learn vectors. It was guided by the social learning theory propounded by Bandura (1977). The study used an after only, with control experimental design.  The design was chosen because it is objective, logical and a systematic method that can be used to demonstrate the influence of peer instruction on motivation to learn vectors. The form three class in public secondary schools was the target population. Multi stage sampling was used to select 479 students from 16 schools who participated in the study. Streams were randomly assigned to either the control or the experimental treatment groups. The treatment took place over three weeks following which a questionnaire was used to collect data from the sampled students. The study found that more students in the experimental treatment groups indicated they were motivated to learn vectors than in the control treatment groups. This means that more students are motivated to learn vectors when they are instructed via peer instruction than when conventional methods are used. It therefore recommends that teachers adopt the use of peer instruction so that learners can be motivated to learn vectors and by extension be motivated to learn mathematics.

Key Words : Peer Instruction, Students Motivation, Learning Vectors