Analysis of Teaching and Assessment Methods used on the Acquisition of Soft Skills Among Mathematics Students in Enugu State, Nigeria

This research studied the usage of teaching and assessment methods used by instructors on the acquisition of soft skills among mathematics learners in Enugu State, Nigeria. The research was guided by two research questions and two null hypotheses. It employed descriptive survey research design and all mathematics teachers and learners in senior sessions constituted the population. The researchers sampled two hundred (200) respondents (24 Teachers and 176 Students) using simple random sampling techniques. The adapted Measuring and Assessment of Soft Skills (MASS) questionnaire was used for the research. The instrument consisted of 25 structured items, 14 on teaching methods and 11 on assessment methods used by Mathematics teachers in the classroom. The instruments were validated by experts in area and subjected to trial testing yielding internal reliability coefficient of 0.81 using Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient. The collected data were analyzed, mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while independent t-test was used to test the hypotheses at 95% confidence interval. The results indicated that the mean rating scores of mathematics instructors and learners on the instructing and assessment methods used in enhancing soft skills development among students in Enugu state varies significantly. The findings recommend among others for Mathematics teachers to endeavor and use all appropriate instructing and assessment methods in enhancing the acquisition of soft skills among students