Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation
Problem-solving pedagogy and mathematics achievement in senior high schools: Implications for equitable and sustainable instruction
Stephen Ntori 1 * , Ebenezer Bonyah 1, Ebenezer Appiagyei 1, Paul Agmabire Akendita 1
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1 Department of Mathematics Education, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Kumasi, Ghana
* Corresponding Author
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Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation, 2026 - Volume 1 Issue 1, Article No: e43787
https://doi.org/10.33902/SEDT.202643787

Article Type: Research Article

Published Online: 03 Mar 2026

Views: 117 | Downloads: 51

ABSTRACT
Sustainable education requires instructional practices that promote higher-order thinking and equitable learning outcomes, particularly in developing-country contexts. This quasi-experimental pretest–posttest study examined the effectiveness of a problem-solving instructional approach on senior high school students’ mathematics achievement and gender-related performance differences in Ghana. Two intact classes were assigned to an experimental group (problem-solving pedagogy) and a control group (conventional instruction). Because normality assumptions were not fully met for some baseline measures, bootstrapped independent-samples t-tests were used to compare pretest and posttest scores. Results indicated no statistically significant difference between groups at pretest, supporting baseline comparability. At posttest, students who received problem-solving instruction achieved significantly higher mathematics scores than those who received conventional teaching, with a medium effect. Within the experimental group, male and female students did not differ significantly in posttest performance, suggesting that problem-solving pedagogy may support equitable achievement outcomes. The findings support problem-solving–oriented instructional reform as a practical approach for improving mathematics performance and promoting equity under Ghana’s Standards-Based Curriculum. Implications for teacher professional development, curriculum implementation, and education policy are discussed.
KEYWORDS
gender differences instructional reforms mathematics achievement problem-solving pedagogy
In-text citation: (Ntori et al., 2026)
Reference: Ntori, S., Bonyah, E., Appiagyei, E., & Akendita, P. A. (2026). Problem-solving pedagogy and mathematics achievement in senior high schools: Implications for equitable and sustainable instruction. Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation, 1(1), e43787. https://doi.org/10.33902/SEDT.202643787
In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Ntori S, Bonyah E, Appiagyei E, Akendita PA. Problem-solving pedagogy and mathematics achievement in senior high schools: Implications for equitable and sustainable instruction. Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation. 2026;1(1), e43787. https://doi.org/10.33902/SEDT.202643787
In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Ntori S, Bonyah E, Appiagyei E, Akendita PA. Problem-solving pedagogy and mathematics achievement in senior high schools: Implications for equitable and sustainable instruction. Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation. 2026;1(1):e43787. https://doi.org/10.33902/SEDT.202643787
In-text citation: (Ntori et al., 2026)
Reference: Ntori, Stephen, Ebenezer Bonyah, Ebenezer Appiagyei, and Paul Agmabire Akendita. "Problem-solving pedagogy and mathematics achievement in senior high schools: Implications for equitable and sustainable instruction". Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation 2026 1 no. 1 (2026): e43787. https://doi.org/10.33902/SEDT.202643787
In-text citation: (Ntori et al., 2026)
Reference: Ntori, S., Bonyah, E., Appiagyei, E., and Akendita, P. A. (2026). Problem-solving pedagogy and mathematics achievement in senior high schools: Implications for equitable and sustainable instruction. Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation, 1(1), e43787. https://doi.org/10.33902/SEDT.202643787
In-text citation: (Ntori et al., 2026)
Reference: Ntori, Stephen et al. "Problem-solving pedagogy and mathematics achievement in senior high schools: Implications for equitable and sustainable instruction". Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation, vol. 1, no. 1, 2026, e43787. https://doi.org/10.33902/SEDT.202643787
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