Research Summary: Effects of Gagné's instructional model on performance and retention in Algebra among secondary school students in Nigeria

A recent study in Nigeria investigated the effectiveness of Gagné's instructional strategy on secondary school students' performance and retention in Algebra. It found that students exposed to this strategy demonstrated significantly better performance compared to those taught through conventional methods. The research also explored gender-specific impacts, though the provided summary does not detail those findings.

Why it matters

This research provides evidence for an effective pedagogical approach to improve student performance and retention in a foundational subject. Adopting such strategies can lead to enhanced educational outcomes, potentially improving the academic pipeline for STEM fields and the overall skill development of a nation's youth.

Key insights

• Algebra is identified as a persistent challenge in the Nigerian secondary school mathematics curriculum, leading to learning difficulties and poor achievement.
• Gagné's instructional strategy significantly improved students' performance in Algebra compared to conventional teaching methods.
• The study also examined the strategy's impact on student retention in Algebra.
• A quasi-experimental design was used, involving 382 students selected via multi-stage sampling.
• An Algebra Performance Test with a reliability coefficient of 0.69 was used for data collection.
• Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and Quade's non-parametric ANCOVA.

Source

Frontiers in Education — https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1747651