Title:
MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTION: PRACTICAL ADVOCACY FOR REGRESSION ANALYSIS AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN SOUTH AFRICA

Authors:
Ronald Chinamasa and Emmanuel Chinamasa ,Zimbabwe

Abstract:
This study sought the possibility of a practical approach to the teaching of Regression analysis at a high school in South Africa. This contributes to improvement of teachers’ mathematics instructional methods and enhances learners’ understanding and application of regression models. The study was prompted by the observation that, generally students are underperforming in mathematics. One of the reports for Curriculum 2005, pointed out that students showed lack of understanding of regression analysis concepts. The study was guided by pragmatism research philosophy which seeks truth from intervention actions that work by solving the problem. Data collection was initiated by desk research for conceptual understanding. This was followed by surveys of a purposive sample of 33 teachers’ views and lesson observations of how regression analysis concepts were taught. Document analysis and interviews helped to identify factors influencing the application of lecture methods. Error analysis was done to identify key points for corrective teaching. A group project practical approach was designed by the researcher, pilot tested at one school and evaluated by teachers who observed the video during an online lesson evaluation focus group discussion on ZOOM and BIGBLUEBUTTON platforms. The study established that, students’ low levels of conceptual understanding of linear regression can be taught from a practical approach using this model: Establish students’ errors through a pre-test. Introduce concepts by posing practical problems. The relevance of the task must provoke learners’ emotional overtones. Use the problem to introduce concepts such as, nature of relationship, strength of relationship, coefficient of determination, regression linear model or equation and its use as a systematic mathematical method to solve the problem. Allow students to form groups of five to nine learners per group. Task them to measure and record group members’ height, weight, arms’ length and shoe size. Groups established mathematical models linking Weight and shoe size, weight and height, height and stretched arms’ lengths. Learners’ present their findings from the project to the whole school. Study encourages teachers to carry out error analysis for progression, real-life problems and develop procedural knowledge from practical activities. Satisfy students’ curiosity by practical investigations of relationships for common variables like weight and shoesize.