Effect of Multimedia-Based Instruction on Students’ Attitude and Academic Achievement in Mathematics:  A Psychological Study

P. Murugaraju; A. Edward William Benjamin

doi:10.34293/education.v14i2.10048

P. Murugaraju Bharathidasan University, India
A. Edward William Benjamin Bharathidasan University, India

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34293/education.v14i2.10048

Keywords: Multimedia-based Instruction, Mathematics Achievement, Attitude Toward Mathematics, Cognitive Theory, Secondary School Students

Abstract

The current research examined the impact of multimedia-based instruction on the academic performance and attitude of secondary school students towards mathematics in terms of psychology. The study was based on the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, Dual Coding Theory, and Expectancy-Value Theory of motivation, with a true experimental pre-test-post-test control group design. A study sample of 120 12th-grade students was randomly selected for the experimental (n=60) and control (n=60) groups. The selected mathematics units were taught using multimedia-based instructional material to the experimental group and traditional teaching methods to the control group. The Achievement Test in Mathematics was used as a standardised data-gathering tool, and an Attitude Scale Towards Mathematics was designed and validated by the researcher. Data were analysed using independent samples t-tests and gain scores.
The findings showed no significant differences between the groups at the pre-test stage, indicating no significant differences at baseline. Nevertheless, the experimental group showed much greater post-test scores, academic achievement, and attitude towards mathematics gain scores than the control group. The effect sizes obtained were moderate to large. These results indicate that multimedia-based teaching can improve thinking and emotional involvement in mathematics learning.
The study concludes that multimedia-based teaching is a psychologically efficient pedagogical tool that enhances students’ performance and creates positive attitudes toward mathematics. This research has significant implications for classroom practices, instructional design, and educational policy. The research indicates that Future studies should investigate the long-term effects of multimedia-based instruction, incorporate more psychological factors such as mathematics anxiety and self-efficacy, and evaluate how particular multimedia design elements influence various educational settings.