Effectiveness of the Expert's Cloak Strategy on Deep Understanding Skills among First-Year Middle School Female Students in Mathematics

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of the Expert's Cloak strategy on deep understanding skills among first-year middle school female students in mathematics. To achieve the research objective, the following null hypothesis was formulated: There is no statistically significant difference at the significance level of 0.05 between the mean scores of first-year middle school female students in the experimental group, who study according to the Expert's Cloak strategy, and the mean scores of first-year middle school female students in the control group, who study according to the conventional method, in a deep understanding test in mathematics. The research population consisted of first-year middle school female students in morning secondary schools in Diyala Education Directorate Amina Bint Wahab Secondary School for FemalesTop of Form was chosen as the research sample, and a random selection was made for Group A to be the experimental group, consisting of 31 students studying mathematics according to the Expert's Cloak strategy, and Group B to be the control group, consisting of 31 students studying the same subject using the conventional method, after excluding statistically failing students. Both research groups were matched in terms of demographic variables (age in months, intelligence, previous achievement in mathematics). A deep understanding test consisting of 30 objective items of multiple-choice type was prepared, and its psychometric properties were ensured. The data were statistically analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), and the following result was reached: The experimental group outperformed the control group in deep understanding skills with a statistically significant difference. Based on the study results, the researcher presented a number of recommendations and suggestions.