The impact of “Clickers” on student achievement in second grade math class.

Abstract

This thesis sought to answer the question: Does using personal response systems, or "clickers", improve the achievement of second grade students in addition and subtraction facts as measured by their performance on chapter tests? The research was carried out in a school in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, where participants in the study were second grade students and their math teacher. There were two sections of second grade students with a total of 20 student participants, with ten student participants from each section of the class. The technology was introduced and used during instruction centered on addition and subtraction. Students in both sections were given a pretest and post-test consisting of three questions on subtraction and addition, comprising of single, double and triple digit numbers. The data collection period was during the second half of May 2014. Weekly continuous assessments or diagnostic exercises were also conducted. A survey questionnaire was conducted after the instruction and the use of the clickers in order to examine the students’ experience of using clickers. The responses of the students were collected from the class using the clickers. The test results showed the scores in both classes were similar in post and pretests (26 correct answers), compared to 23 and 24 correct answers without the clickers, thus showing a slight advantage with the use of clickers.