Influence of Pedagogical Innovation on Interest and Academic Engagement in Mathematics among Students with Learning Disorders in Senior Secondary Schools, Niger State

Abstract

This study examined the influence of pedagogical innovation on interest and academic engagement in mathematics among students with learning disorders in selected senior secondary schools in Niger State, Nigeria. Four research questions and four null hypotheses guided the study. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, and the sample comprised 456 respondents. A multistage sampling procedure was used, taking into account the geographical structure of the study area. Data were collected using three instruments: the Mathematics Teachers’ Pedagogical Innovation Questionnaire (M-TPIQ), the Mathematics Interest Scale (MIS), and the Academic Engagement Questionnaire (AEQ). Experts in Special Needs Education, Mathematics Education, and Measurement and Evaluation validated the instruments. Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients were 0.78 for the M-TPIQ, 0.80 for the MIS, and 0.79 for the AEQ. Frequency counts and percentages were used to describe respondents’ demographic characteristics. Mean scores and standard deviations were used to answer Research Questions 1 and 2, while Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to answer Research Questions 3 and 4. Pearson’s product-moment correlation was used to test Null Hypotheses 1 and 2, and simple linear regression was used to test Null Hypotheses 3 and 4 at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings indicated that pedagogical innovation predicted students’ interest and academic engagement in mathematics to a large extent. They also showed that interest in mathematics among SS II students with learning disorders in the selected senior secondary schools was significantly low. The study recommended that mathematics teachers adopt innovative teaching methods, including group work, games, demonstrations, storytelling, practical activities, and problem-solving, to make lessons more interesting and engaging. It also recommended that schools provide appropriate instructional materials—such as charts, models, mathematical manipulatives, computers, projectors, and other digital resources—to support students with learning disorders.