Mental Mathematics: An Enhancing Strategy for Better Performance in Post- Covid Primary Schools

This study investigated mental mathematics:  an enhancing strategy for better performance in post-COVID primary schools. It examined how mental mathematics could influence the performance of students in lower levels positively to bridge the gap created by COVID 19 on the teaching and learning of mathematics. The study found out teachers’ observation about the use of mental mathematics. Quasi experimental of pretest and posttest control group design was adopted.  The population comprised all the primary six pupils in public primary schools in Ado and Ido/Osi Local Government Areas, both in Ekiti State. Two schools were selected from the public primary schools in each of the selected Local Government Areas, making four schools that were used for the study. Three schools were used for experimental while the remaining school was for control. 160 Primary six pupils were selected as sample for the study. Hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance and analysed using t-test and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Mathematics test administered on the pupils at the beginning of the study showed no significant difference among the schools, this showed that the groups were homogeneous at the beginning of the study. The same test was administered as posttest after treatment on the two groups. It was observed that there was significant difference between the post test of the experimental and the control groups. The results showed that pupils exposed to mental mathematics had improved performance in mathematics. Teachers’ observation about the use of mental mathematics was sought after treatment using questionnaire.  Teachers discovered that the use of mental mathematics made their teaching easy. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that Mathematics teachers should encourage and engage their pupils in mental mathematics.

Keywords:   Mental Mathematics, Mental Computation, performance, Experimental Control,