Active Methodologies and Academic Performance in Mathematics: A Quasi-Experimental Study in Ecuadorian Institutions

Abstract

This study examines the impact of active methodologies combined with diversified teaching materials, on academic achievement and student satisfaction in mathematics. A total of 679 students and 20 mathematics teachers from four secondary and high school institutions in south of Ecuador participated. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design without a control group was adopted. Achievement was measured through official grade averages and satisfaction through a Likert-scale survey validated by expert judgment. Normality was checked with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and pre-post comparisons with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test (α=0.05). Results showed statistically significant improvements in achievement across all four institutions (p=0.0001), with a mean gain of 0.57 points. Teacher satisfaction reached 83.0% and student satisfaction 75.5%. It is concluded that planned, combined implementation of active methodologies significantly improves both mathematics achievement and satisfaction..