Guided teaching, technology integration, and learner engagement as predictors of mathematical problem-solving ability: A structural equation modeling study
Keywords:
Guided Teaching Approaches, Technology Integration, Learner Engagement, Problem-Solving Ability, Structural Equation ModelingAbstract
Mathematical problem-solving remains a critical yet persistently underperformed competency among senior high school students in Ghana. This study examined the simultaneous influence of guided teaching approaches, technology integration, and learner engagement on mathematical problem-solving ability among second-year Senior High School (SHS 2) students in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. Grounded in Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, the Technology Acceptance Model, and Self-Determination Theory, the study adopted a quantitative descriptive-correlational survey design. A sample of 353 students was selected from two public senior high schools using purposive and stratified random sampling from a target population of 3,000 SHS 2 mathematics students. Data were collected via a validated 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire and analysed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in AMOS 23. Results revealed that guided teaching approaches (β = 0.216, p < 0.001), technology integration (β = 0.207, p < 0.001), and learner engagement (β = 0.252, p < 0.001) each significantly and positively predicted students’ mathematical problem-solving ability. Learner engagement emerged as the strongest predictor among the three variables. These findings underscore the importance of blended instructional frameworks that integrate structured pedagogical guidance, digital tools, and active student participation to improve mathematical competencies in sub-Saharan African educational contexts. Implications for mathematics educators, curriculum designers, and education policymakers in Ghana are discussed.
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