Relationship Between Senior Secondary School Students’ Attitude to Mathematics and Their Performance in Mathematics
CHAPTER ONE
Objective of the Study
The purpose of this study is to investigate the attitudes of students in Agege Local Government of Lagos State toward studying of mathematics as a subject. This study also extend beyond attitude, but also reflect on relationship between gender and attitudes of students, the effect of gender differences on mathematics performance, as well as the link between socio-economic status of students and attitudes of students towards mathematics and how they all translate to the performance of students in mathematics.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEWED OF RELATED LITERATURE
The definition of attitude depends on the purpose of the definition (Papanastasiou, 2000). Most attitudes researchers include the concept of evaluation as the basis for the definition (e.g Boliner & Wanke, 2002). To Eagly & Chaiken (1993) attitudes are general evaluations of people hold in regard for themselves, other people, object, and issues. To Greenwald (1989b), attitudes are pervasive, predict behaviours, are a force in perception and memory, and they serve various psychological functions. Though there is a serious debate about the structure of attitudes (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993), however instructional designers have long assumed that attitude is made up of three components; a cognitive component, an emotional component, and a behavioural component (e.g., Bednar & Levie, 1993, Kamradt & Kamradt, 1991).
Social Psychologists opined that people respond to objects (ideas) with different degrees of positive to negative evaluations. Responses could be affective (e.g., frown or smiling); cognitive (e.g., stating rational thoughts) or behavioural (clapping or running away) (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993). Social psychologists conceived of a driving force behind these responses, and name it-attitude. They proceeded to measure attitude by measuring what they conceived to be the effects of it. It is important to note that all responses are technically behaviours (Ajzen, 1989).
Attitude is a central part of human identity. Everyday people love, hate, like, dislike, favour, oppose, agree, disagree, argue, persuade etc. All these are evaluative responses to an object. Hence attitudes can be defined as ‘a summary evaluation of an object of thought’ (Bohner & Wanke, 2002). They are inclinations and predispositions that guide an individual’s behaviour (Rubinstein, 1986) and persuade to an action that can be evaluated as either positive or negative (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). Attitudes develop and change with time (Rubinstein, 1986).
Definitions of attitude towards mathematics are numerous as researchers’ and thinkers’ conceptions, ideas and perspectives vary (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993). According to a point of view, the attitude towards mathematics is just a positive or negative emotional disposition towards mathematics ( Kogce, Aydin & Altindag, 2009). Hart (1989) considering attitudes towards mathematics from a multidimensional point of view where he defined an individual’s attitude towards mathematics as a more complex way by emotions that he/she associates with mathematics, his/her beliefs towards mathematics. When reviewing literature on students’ attitude towards mathematics, it reveals that several factors play a vital role influencing student’s attitude. These factors can be categorized into three distinctive groups.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine relationship between senior secondary school students’ attitude to mathematics and their performance in mathematics. Selected secondary schools in Agege Local Government of Lagos State form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain relationship between senior secondary school students’ attitude to mathematics and their performance in mathematics. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing relationship between senior secondary school students’ attitude to mathematics and their performance in mathematics.
Summary
This study was on relationship between senior secondary school students’ attitude to mathematics and their performance in mathematics. Three objectives were raised which included: students’ attitudes towards mathematics affect their performance, attitude of students result to high performance in mathematics, attitude of students result to low performance in mathematics, Students economic status affect their attitude towards mathematics, gender differences affect the attitudes and performance of students in mathematics and instructional materials affect students’ attitude and performance in mathematics. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected staff of Agege Local Government of Lagos State. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
This study investigated the extent to which attitudes of students in the senior secondary school could influence their level of achievement in mathematics and the gender difference in the attitudes of students towards mathematics in the study area. The school environment, teacher’s attitudes and beliefs, teaching style and parental attitudes, and peer influence were identified as the factors that account for student’s attitudes towards mathematics. Recommendations have also been made on how to promote positive attitudes towards mathematics among the students, teachers and parents
Recommendation
- Government and other stakeholders in the education industry should organize workshops, seminars for students, parents, mathematics teachers and school administrators to enhance and promote positive attitudes towards mathematics.
- Teachers’ entitlements should be paid on time as at when due to take care of their basic welfare in order to motivate them to regain confidence in teaching.
- Placement into the senior secondary school should be strictly base on merit. This will go a long way to improve the students’ academic achievement in mathematics at the 6-3-3-4 levels.
Schools guidance and counseling unit should be revived and be made to stand up to their responsibilities of proper guidance so as to eliminate the mathematical phobia among the students.
References
- Ajzen, I. (1989). Attitude structure and behaviour. In A.R. Pratkanis, S.J. Breckler & A.G. Greenwald (Eds.). Attitude structure and function (pp. 241-274). Hillsdale, NJ: Lewrence Erlbaum Associates.
- Akale, M.A.G (1997). The Relationship between Attitude and Achievement among Biology Students in
- Senior Secondary Schools. Journal of Science and Movement Education 2, 77-85.
- Akinsola, M.K. (1994). Comparative Effects of Mastery Learning and enhanced Mastery Learning Strategies on Students’ Achievement and Self-Concept Mathematics. PhD. Thesis, U.I. Ibadan.
- Arnot, M.,M.David and G. Weiner (1986). Educational reforms and gender equality in schools.
- Manchester: Equal Opportunities Commission, Research Discussion Series No. 17.
