Effect of GeoGebra on Secondary School Students’ Attitudes and Retention in Solid Geometry in Benue State, Nigeria
Negative attitudes toward geometry and poor retention of geometric concepts continue to hinder students’ learning outcomes in Nigerian secondary schools. This study investigated the effect of GeoGebra on secondary school students’ attitudes toward learning and retention of solid geometry concepts in Benue State, Nigeria. A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test non-equivalent control group design was adopted. The study involved 381 Senior Secondary School Two (SS2) students selected from two public secondary schools in Zone C of Benue State. Intact classes were assigned to the experimental (n = 191) and control (n = 190) groups. Data were collected using the Solid Geometry Attitude Questionnaire (SGAQ) and a Solid Geometry Retention Test (SGRT). The SGAQ yielded a Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient of 0.81, while the SGRT produced a test–retest reliability coefficient of 0.84. The experimental group received GeoGebra-based instruction, whereas the control group was taught using the conventional method over eight weeks. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that students taught using GeoGebra developed significantly more positive attitudes toward solid geometry (F(1, 378) = 154.22, p < .001, partial η² = .290) and achieved significantly higher retention of geometry concepts (F(1, 378) = 172.88, p < .001, partial η² = .314) than those taught using the conventional method. The study concluded that GeoGebra is an effective instructional tool for improving students’ attitudes and long-term retention of solid geometry concepts. It is recommended that GeoGebra be integrated into secondary school mathematics instruction.
Keywords: GeoGebra, attitude, retention, solid geometry, mathematics education, secondary school students.
