Exploring Effective Strategies: Guided Discovery in Teaching Surface Area of a Cylinder

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of implementing the Guided Discovery approach on students’ ability to determine the Surface Area of a Cylinder. The research study employed an explanatory-sequential mixed-methods design to instruct a sample of 80 students from a school situated in the Cape Coast Metropolis. The participants were put into an experimental group with no control group. Data was collected using Mathematics Achievement Test MAT and interviews through focus group discussions. The quantitative data was subjected to analysis using two software programs: the Statistical Package for Service Solutions (SPSS version 26.0) and Microsoft Excel 2019 and the qualitative data was analysed thematically. The data was subjected to analysis using descriptive statistics, specifically frequency counts and percentages, as well as inferential statistics, specifically t-tests. The findings indicate a statistically significant difference in the academic achievement of students who were instructed in the concept of the Surface Area of a Cylinder using the Guided Discovery approach. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference observed in the post-test scores between male and female students after their exposure to the Guided Discovery method for teaching the Surface Area of a Cylinder. It was also found that students demonstrated positive experiences (clarity, interest, and lesson presentation) when learning with the Guided Discovery. Hence, it is suggested that mathematics educators should utilise the Guided Discovery approach to instruct students on mathematical concepts, to stimulate students' engagement and enthusiasm towards the subject matter.