Title:
EFFECT OF LEARNING SETTING AND ABILITY ON ERRORS IN MATHEMATICS AMONG MALE SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN KISUMU COUNTY, KENYA

Authors:
Ferdinand Ukanda ,Kenya

Abstract:
Secondary school students may be classified into three ability levels namely high ability, medium ability and low ability. These ability levels can be used to learning settings. An individual learning setting may consist of students of the same ability level while a group learning setting consists of students of mixed ability. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of learning setting and ability on error scores in mathematics. A factorial research design was used in the study. The independent variables were learning setting and ability level. The dependent variable was error score on a mathematics test. The population of the study consisted of 240 Form Three students from a public boys’ secondary school. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 48 students. The stratifying criterion was the ability level across streams. A mathematics achievement test and an observation checklist were used to collect data. Findings of the study indicated that student ability had a significant effect on error scores in mathematics (p?.05). However learning setting did not have a significant effect on error scores in mathematics (p?.05). The interaction between learning setting and ability did not have a statistically significant effect on error scores in mathematics (p?.05). Soliciting for explanations and getting help improved the performance of the medium and low ability students. The findings are of significance to teachers, educational policy makers, test developers and test users