Investigating Factors Influencing the Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Mathematics
Chapter One
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This study aims to look into the factors affecting the academic performance of students in mathematics. The specific objectives are;
- To examine teachers’ attitudes in terms of teaching mathematics
- To examine students’ attitudes in terms of learning mathematics
- To examine the qualifications, professionalism, and strategies teachers use in teaching mathematics.
- To examine the school environment and the kind of discipline in the school.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
In carrying out this study, related literatures have been intensively reviewed to buttress the claims of the study. It is been organized under the following sections;
- Concept of poor academic performance
- Teachers attitude towards teaching of mathematics
- Students attitude
- Teachers qualification, professionalism
- Teachers strategies use in teaching mathematics
- School environment
- Degree of discipline in school
This chapter is hence intended to give a retrospective review of related literatures that facilitated the study and also aided in the improvement of both theoretical frame work.
CONCEPTUAL REVIEW
CONCEPT OF POOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
Poor academic performance according to Aremu (2000) is a performance that is adjudged by the examinee (testee) and some other significant as falling below an expected standard and conditions given. The interpretation of this expected or desired outcome is better appreciated from the perpetual cognitive ability of the evaluator of the performance.
The evaluator can therefore give different interpretation depending on some factors and conditions for passing judgement. The criteria of high excellence can be from (50- 100) % depending on the subjective yardstick of the examiner or the evaluator.
For instance a 70% performance of senior secondary school mathematics examination is by all standards an excellent performance. However a cursory (thorough) look at the performance and the individual examined and the standard of the test or examination he or she took could reveal that the performance is of a very low standard.
On the other hand, a junior secondary class student performance of 50% in ss3 mathematics can said to be a poor performance when in an actual fact the performance is by all means a very good one. This shows that the concept of poor academic performance is very relative and this depends on so many intervening variables which will be treated in cause of this research work and will be explained in details.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
This chapter carries the model used in data collection details and procedures in conducting this research. It comprises of the following headings:
RESEARCH DESIGN
The design of the study is a survey design
SOURCES OF DATA
DETERMINATION OF POPULATION
The population of the study consists of all secondary school students in Ganjuwa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
DETERMINATION OF SAMPLE SIZE
The following secondary schools were randomly selected which includes
- Government Secondary School, Wailo.
- Government Girls Secondary School, Karfin Madaki
- Al Maruf High School, Wailo
- Model Boys Secondary School, Karfin Madaki
In each school twenty (20) students were randomly picked in the senior secondary school (SSII) to participate in the study making the sample size come up to eighty (80) drawn from four sampled secondary schools. In each of the school, twenty number of questionnaire was administered and the same number of questionnaire was retrieved.
CHAPTER FOUR:
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
INTRODUCTION
This chapter gives graphic information on the results of the data collected on the performance of secondary school students in Mathematics.
CHAPTER FIVE:
CONCLUSION, SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the conclusion and summary of the study. It also makes suitable recommendations to improve the academic performance of secondary school students in mathematics.
CONCLUSION
With regards to the data collected and analysed they show that teachers attitude, student‟s attitude, Qualification and professionalism and also the school environment and its degree of discipline affects academic performance of student positively because when all this factors ar6e properly examined and play they needed roles in educational pursuit student academic performance will be sky rocketed to a better grade.
SUMMARY OF THE STUDY
This research work (study) was conducted to investigate and examine the factors affecting the academic performance of student in mathematics in senior secondary schools a case study of Ganjuwa local Government Area.
Four schools were randomly selected, eighty (80) students participated on the research work and twenty (20) students from each of the schools were selected. The research work brings to light the factors affecting the academic performance of students in mathematics which depends on the teachers attitude towards the teaching of mathematic, Students attitude towards the learning of mathematics, Qualification, professionalism and teachers strategies and finally the school environment and its degree of discipline.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on all the findings concerning this research work, the researcher gives the following recommendations.
- It has been confirmed that positive attitude towards the teaching of mathematics foster the morale of the students to be up and doing, therefore the teachers should make a right to positive attitude when teaching.
- Students should be made to know the importance of mathematics in bid for education.
- Qualified mathematics teachers should be employed and trained to acquire more experience in the teaching and learning process.
- Teachers should be open minded towards new reforms and be diversified in nature.
REFERENCES
- Ali, R., Altcher, A. & Khan, A. (2010). Effect of Using Problem Solving Method in Teaching Mathematics on the Achievement of Mathematics Students: Bannu, (NWFP): Pakistan.
- Bartlett, L. (2008). Paulo Freire and Peace Education. Department of International & Transcultural Studies Teachers College, Columbia University.
- Biotenbeck, J. C. (2011). Teaching Practices and Student Achievement: Evidence from TIMSS. Madrid.
- Clements, D. H. (2013). Instructional Practices and Student Math Achievement: Correlations from a study of math curricula. University of Denver Morgridge College of Education.
- Cohen, L., Manion, L. & Morison, K. (2005). Research Methods in Education (5th Edition). Routledge Falmer: USA
- Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research Design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed method approaches (2nded.). California: Sage.