Analysis of Interaction Pattern in the Senior Secondary School Mathematics Classroom in Ogun State

Mathematics is crucial for skill development and societal progress, warranting its inclusion as a mandatory subject in secondary education. Despite this, Nigerian Senior Secondary School (SSS) students' performance in Mathematics has only been slightly above average in National Examination while previous studies have explored the impact of parental, teacher, and student factors on Mathematics achievement, limited attention has been given to Classroom Interaction Patterns (CIP). This study analysed interaction patterns in Mathematics classrooms, using a descriptive research design, sampling 40 teachers and 1,185 senior secondary school II students across four local government areas in Ogun East Senatorial District. Data were collected using the Mathematics Interaction Sheet (r = 0.998) and analysed through descriptive statistics and chi-square tests at 0.05 level of significant. Findings indicated that teachers' activities focused largely on explanations (20.2%) and solving mathematics problem on the chalkboard (13.1%), with no recorded use of instructional materials. For students, chorus responses (10.9%) and note-taking (10.7%) were common, while disruptive behaviour like fighting were absent. A significant difference was found in teacher-initiated (cal. 317.69 > tab. 23.685) and student-initiated activities (cal. 965.11 > tab. 19.675) between public and private schools. The study recommended that mathematics teachers need to diversify their instructional methods beyond explanations and chalkboard problem-solving.