EFFECT OF LABORATORY APPROACH ON JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' INTEREST IN GEOMETRY AND MENSURATION IN KEFFI EDUCATION ZONE, NASARAWA STATE

This study determined the effect of laboratory approach on junior secondary school students' interest in geometry and mensuration. A sample of 74 JSII students from two randomly selected government owned secondary schools in Keffi Education Zone, Nasarawa state was used for the study. Quasi-experimental of non - equivalent control group design was used. T\yo research questions were answered and two hypotheses were tested. The instrument, Geometry and Mensuration Interest Scale (GMIS) was developed, validated and used for data collection. Data obtained were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The results revealed that students have high interest in Geometry and Mensuration when taught with laboratory approach and there is no significant difference in the mean interest scores of males and females. The study recommended that teachers should be encouraged to use laboratory approach in teaching so as to improve students' interest in Mathematics and to eradicate the issue of gender differences in having interest in Mathematics. Authors and publishers of secondary school mathematics textbooks should write and publish the books from the point of laboratory approach and other practical approaches. This will make the contents of such books to be in the context of real life situation thereby upholding students' interest in Mathematics.