CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the Study

Mathematics which is defined as the communication system for those concepts of shapes, size; quantity and orders used to describe diverse phenomenon both in physical and economic situations (Ofiah, 2012). It is an indispensable subject which a society cannot do without because of it immense contribution to the building and development of a nation. Ofiah (2012) quoting (John, 2015) saw Mathematics as a tool for use in Science and Technology and industries. This means that all Science draw their inspiration from Mathematics. Meaning Mathematics is the language of the Science which out of its importance has led to the Federal Government to make it a compulsory subject from primary to the end of Senior Secondary School (Aguele, 2007).

Technology, Sciences and general development go together through inventions and applications of Mathematical problems.Adamu (2017) said that science is the bedrock that provides the spring board for the growth of technology but Mathematics is the gate and the key to the sciences. Aguele (2007) said, “Without Mathematics there is no Science, without Science there is no Modern Technology and without modern technology there is no modern society. In order words, Mathematics is the precursor and the queen of science and technology and the indispensable single element in modern societal development”.

The development of any country is always somewhere connected to the contribution of science and technology which it is the level of Mathematics that determines the level of science and technological component of any nation. Adamu (2017) observed that Mathematics is the major tool available for formulating theories in the sciences as well as in other fields.

Against this backdrop of the relevance   and importance of Mathematics has been the effort of the Federal Government of Nigeria towards improving the teaching and performance in Mathematics. This led to the inclusion of Mathematics as a compulsory subject from primary, junior and Senior Secondary Schools. Musa and Dauda  (2014) said that admission requirement to most courses in institutions of higher learning in Nigeria required at least a credit pass in Mathematics.

Despite these government efforts on making Mathematics a basic subject due to its importance to the growth and the development of any country, the performance of pupils and students in the subject is alarming and disheartening.  This fact is supported by Musa and Dauda(2014)on their analysis of students’ performance as they cited  WAEC from 1996 – 2016, reported as follows:

TABLE 1: Performance Rates of students in WAEC from 1991 - 2016

Source: Test Development Division, West African Examination Council (WAEC) Lagos, 2017.

          From these results, it could be noticed that the mean percentage of students with  D7- F9 was 72.69% against the mean percent of students that had A1- C6 (27.31%).  It’s worth finding out the more or research more on what could still be the cause of this alarming problem.

            Stavros (2014) examined Errors and the academic performance of students in Mathematics. Other researchers have considered other factors as Home variables, Teacher factors, Management factors, Government policies, Parental factors and Teaching strategies as they influence the performance of students in Mathematics, leaving room for further researches which this work wants to fill by considering Computer Graphics and academic performance of JSS II Mathematics students in Solid Geometry in public secondary schools in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Computer has been used in the developed countries to tackle most of the teaching and learningchallenges since 1980s. It has potential for arousing students’ interest, motivation and achievement(Olibie, 2008). It can influence students’ attitudes and interest towards mathematics whichmay positively affect their achievements and retention (Golden, McCrone, Walker & Rudd, 2006).Computer‐Assisted Instructional (CAI) package can be used to teach all subjects including sciences.According to Akinlade(2004) CAI can be used to provide opportunities for students to learn using drilland practice, tutorial, games and simulation activities, animation, and many others.

Also, in this 21st century, adoption of technologybasedinstructional strategy that motivate, captivate andenhance students’ achievement should beencouraged. One of such approach, according toGambari, Yaki, Gana and Ughovwa (2014), includetechnology enhanced learning such as multimediapresentation which could be either computer-based orvideo-based instruction. Multimedia presentation can bedefined as presenting both words and pictures that areintended to foster learning. The wordcan be printed (e.g. on-screen text) or spoken (e.g., narration). The picturecan be static (e.g., illustrations, graphs, charts, photos,

or maps) or dynamic (e.g., animation, video, orinteractive illustrations). Animation refers to

computerized simulation of processes using images toform a synthetic motion picture (Moreno & Mayer, 2003).Multimedia technology today uses various forms ofcommunication media such as computers and videos.Video instruction is a kind of multimedia thatcan transmit verbal and non-verbal with the combinationof Audio and Visual materials. It develops continuity ofthought and offers a reality of experience thatstimulates self-activities on the part of the students(Anaekwe, 2004). In video instruction, teacher produces aninstructional video package which is played on a videoplayer connected to a television monitor which is put on,for the learner to view. At interval he may choose to stopplaying and explain certain points or factors or probablywait till the end of the lesson. Learners have theopportunity to repeat the lesson over and over again(Adegoke, 2010).

Several studies indicated that multimedia suchas video and computer can improve learning and achievement as compared to “traditional teaching method” (TTM) or study materials that do not use multimedia(Gambari, Falode, & Adegbenro, 2014).

The term  Graphics comes from Greek  “graphikos” which means  something written' e.g. autograph, implying  Graphics are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone to inform, illustrate, or entertain.

Computer graphics include almost everything on computers that is not text or sound.

Computer graphics can be a series of images which most often called video or a single image. The definition of computer graphics is the technology that deals with designs and pictures on computers. So, computer graphics are visual representations of data displayed on a monitor made on a computer. These graphics could be static or animated. Static animation has to do with graphics which are mere computer diagrams while animated graphics, which is the concern of this work, has to do with diagrams that seems real and with life.

Animation is processed as a part of the visual information. There are two versions of the illustrationmode, static and animated. The static version consist of a graphic depicting the scientific processwith no visual movement to show the process in operation, while the animated version shows theprocess with visual movement to demonstrate the process in operation. Animations have beendefined as images in motion (Gambari & Adegbenro, 2008). The capable features of Animation can enliventhe learning experience. Animation which promotes flexibility of learning allowed a wider range ofstimuli thus increased the student engagement in learning