Elizabeth Akinyi Oloo

Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction

1. Prof S. N. Mutsotso
2. Dr. Edwin N. Masibo

ABSTRACT

Mathematics is a core subject in the school curriculum and often considered a critical filter for learners’ career choices. For this to be realized there is need for the use of effective learning methods that stimulate learners’ interest in the subject. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of the use of peer teaching among students on their performance in mathematics. The objectives of this study are to establish the attitudes of teachers of mathematics towards the use of peer teaching among students in learning mathematics, determine the extent to which mathematics teachers encourage the use of peer teaching among students in learning mathematics, determine the effect of peer teaching on students’ performance in mathematics in the teaching and learning process and to establish the challenges of using peer teaching among students in mathematics instruction. The study will be guided by Vygotsky’s social interaction theory of learning. The theory posits that the ability of students to retain information through social interaction is strengthened as they engage in cooperative learning with their more knowledgeable peers. The study will be carried out in Bungoma South Sub-County. The study will adopt a descriptive survey design. The target population will be Heads of Departments, teachers of mathematics and students from secondary schools in Bungoma South Sub-County. The schools will be selected through stratified random sampling to ensure representativeness of County and Sub County schools. Twenty four mathematics teachers and one hundred and twenty form three students will be drawn from the sampled schools to participate in the study. The teachers will be selected using purposive sampling technique. Students in single sex schools will be selected using the simple random sampling technique. In mixed schools the subjects will be obtained using stratified sampling techniques to ensure gender equality. Data will be collected using classroom observation, questionnaires, students’ achievement test and interview schedule. Data will be analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. It is hoped that the proposed study will yield information that will contribute towards improving instruction and performance of students in mathematics in secondary schools in Kenya.