Efficacy of the Bar Model Method of Teaching Mathematics to Year 7 Students: Case Study of Teachers in Brunei Darussalam

Abstract

Mathematics is a subject that challenges many Brunei secondary school students. The Bar Method of instruction uses visual or pictorial representations to make mathematics easier to understand. The survey participants consisted of 127 randomly selected teachers (24 males and 103 females). Male teachers had significantly higher negative attitudes toward the BMM strategy than their female counterparts. The predictor variables that were significantly related to effective teaching of mathematics using the BMM included gender, age, Experience in using the BMM, Positive opinions on BMM, and district of residence. Evidence from the present study showed that the BMM was not much used by many school teachers. Only a small number or percentage of teachers used the BMM strategy when instructing students in mathematics most likely due to lack of skills and experience in using the method. However, both genders expressed the desire to use the BMM strategy in future, an indication of the degree to which the BMM is rapidly gaining popularity. Further large scale mixed-methods research employing interview probes was recommended to gain additional insights.