The effect of using SOLO taxonomy on secondary mathematical competencies associated with quadratic equations
Description
The data on the effect of using SOLO taxonomy on secondary mathematical competencies associated with quadratic equations was collected between May and June 2024 from three secondary schools in Mafinga district (Zambia). The sample involved 78 grade 11 students from three intact classes as experimental groups and 71 grade 11 students from three intact classes as comparison groups randomly selected. The researcher analyzed learning outcomes associated with quadratic equations in the Zambian secondary school mathematics syllabus and identified three expected competencies namely; algebraic graphing skills, algebraic reasoning skills and algebraic representation skills. With these competencies, four questions for testing students’ understanding of quadratic equations were formulated in line with the increasing complexity of the response structure reflected in the SOLO categories. Fifteen lessons were conducted to complete quadratic equations in five weeks. In each lesson, think-pair share, group and individual activities were implemented as formative assessments to monitor learning progress. Students from experimental groups completed formative assessments with formative feedback based on SOLO taxonomy that encouraged self-assessment and peer feedback. Students took the mathematics competence test within one-hour thirty minutes before and after learning quadratic equations. Students’ responses to quadratic tasks were analyzed using grading rubrics based on SOLO taxonomy that described the levels of understanding from pre-structural level (no understanding), uni-structural level and multi-structural level (surface understanding), relational level (deep understanding) to expended abstract level (conceptual understanding). The data set includes an Excel file named “Data set on students' competencies associated with quadratic equations based on SOLO taxonomy” with three sheets containing raw data for students before and after interventions: Graphing skills sheet, Reasoning skills sheet and Representation skills sheet. The levels of performance ranged from 0 = pre-structural level, 1 = uni-structural level, 2 = multi-structural level, 3 = relational level and 4 = uni-structural level. Students classified under relational and extended abstract level categories demonstrated higher order thinking skills while those under uni-structural and multi-structural levels demonstrated low order thinking skills. Students under pre-structural level demonstrated no understanding. Bar charts were used to present the proportion of students on each SOLO level in relation to algebraic graphing skills, algebraic reasoning skills and algebraic representation skills. SPSS v.25 was used to generate the outputs. Regardless of the levels of performance before interventions, the results showed that the proportion of students who achieved higher order thinking skills on expected mathematical competencies was higher for experimental groups than comparison groups after interventions.
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The data on the effect of using SOLO taxonomy on secondary mathematical competencies were collected from 78 grade 11 students in three intact classes as experimental groups and 71 grade 11 students in three intact classes as comparison groups randomly selected from three secondary schools in Mafinga district (Zambia). The data were collected using SOLO rubrics based on the analysis of student’s responses to quadratic tasks in the mathematics competence test from pre-structural level to extended abstract level. A grading rubric based on SOLO taxonomy was developed to assess each desired learning outcome: graphing skills, reasoning skills and representation skills. Students’ group was coded as 1 = comparison group and 2 = experimental group. Students’ levels of performance on graphing skills, reasoning skills and representations skills were coded as 0 = pre-structural level, 1 = uni-structural level, 2 = multi-structural level, 3 = relational level and 4 = extended abstract level. Therefore, 0 represented that the student missed the point, 1 and 2 represented surface understanding or low order thinking skills while 3 and 4 represented deep understanding or higher order thinking skills. Five subject matter specialists reviewed independently both the test items and SOLO rubrics. The content validity index of the entire test was, CVI=0.95. The test and grading rubrics were pilot tested on 10 students and the inter-rater reliability using kappa values κ =0.831, was significant, p<0.5, suggesting instruments’ reliability to yield reliable results. Students took the mathematics competence test within one-hour thirty minutes before and after learning quadratic equations. Throughout this study, comparisons were made between students from comparison groups and experimental groups in relation to their performance before interventions and after interventions.