EFFECTS OF DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN NUMBER AND NUMERATION AMONG JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SOKOTO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of differentiated instruction on students’ performance in number and numeration among junior secondary schools in Sokoto state, Nigeria. The research was motivated by persistent poor performance in Mathematics, particularly in foundational topics like number and numeration, which is largely attributed to traditional teaching methods that fail to address the diverse needs of learners. A quasi-experimental design was adopted, involving 384 JSS II students selected from six public secondary schools across Sokoto North and South education zones. Participants were non-randomized. Thus, intact classes were used to assign experimental and control groups. The experimental group was taught using differentiated instruction strategies, while the control group received conventional (lecture-based) instruction. Data were collected using the Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT), which was validated and pilot-tested with a high reliability index of 0.72. Pre-test and post-test scores were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and independent t-tests at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that students taught with differentiated instruction performed significantly better than those taught using a conventional method, with a mean difference of 14.08 in post-test scores. No significant gender difference was found in the experimental group, indicating that both male and female students benefited equally from the differentiated instruction. The study concludes that differentiated instruction is an effective pedagogical strategy for enhancing students’ academic performance in number and numeration. It promotes inclusive learning, addresses individual differences, and fosters greater student engagement. In the end, the study recommended that teacher training in differentiated strategies should be deployed when teaching Mathematics.

DOI:  https://doie.org/10.50390/SER.2026189643