Effects of Merrill’s First Principles, Gagne’s Nine-Event Instructional Models and Lecture Method on Mathematics Students’ Attitude in Delta State, Nigeria

The study aimed to examine the effects of Merrill's First Principles of Instruction, Gagné's Nine-Event Instructional Strategy, and the Lecture Method on students’ attitude scores. To guide the study, three research questions and three hypotheses were formulated. A 3×2×2 factorial quasi-experimental design was adopted, incorporating three instructional approaches (Merrill’s First Principles, Gagné’s Nine Events, and Lecture Method), gender (male and female), and repeated testing (pre-test and post-test). The independent variables were the instructional models, while the dependent variable was achievement scores, with gender serving as an intervening variable. The sample comprised 318 students drawn from six secondary schools in Delta State. Data were collected using the Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT), which was validated and tested for reliability before administration. The instrument yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.82 based on the Kuder-Richardson Formula 21. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics, including the independent samples t-test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), with all hypotheses tested at the 0.05 significance level. The findings revealed that: (i) there was a significant difference in the mean attitude scores of students taught using Merrill’s First Principles, Gagné’s Nine Events, and the Lecture Method; (ii) no significant difference existed between the mean attitude scores of male and female students across the instructional models; and (iii) there was no significant interaction effect between instructional methods and gender on students’ attitudes. The study concluded that Merrill’s First Principles and Gagné’s Nine Events are more effective than the Lecture Method in enhancing students’ attitudes toward mathematics. It was therefore recommended that both teachers and students receive adequate training in the application of these instructional models and be encouraged to integrate them into the teaching and learning of mathematics.