STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS MATHEMATICS: THE CASE OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN BORANA ZONE, ETHIOPIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30862/jhm.v3i2.93Keywords:
Secondary school, Students’ attitude, Achievement, Influencing factors, mathematicsAbstract
Mathematics is an essential field of science applied in nearly all areas of knowledge and individuals’ daily lives. Therefore, understanding students’ attitudes towards it and affecting their mathematics performance is an essential step for appropriate intervention to make the subject enjoyable. This paper aims to give a comprehensive picture of students’ attitudes towards mathematics and factors that affect their attitude and achievement. To achieve this objective, purposive and random sampling techniques were used. A questionnaire measuring students’ attitudes and their achievement in the subject was distributed to sample students in secondary schools. Data were collected using a questionnaire that was validated, pilot tested, and its reliability was determined. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Students were asked to respond to a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire that includes factors that affect the teaching practice, teachers’ attribution, classroom climate, and students’ concern as a contributing factor for their attitude towards mathematics. Besides, five free-response questions were also included to get an in-depth view of students towards mathematics. Results indicated that students have an almost positive attitude towards mathematics. Factors contributing to poor performance include lack of practice, language deficiency, societal influence, comprehensive content of the subject, lack of background on the course, development of examination in mathematics, absence of tutorial, the need for more recreation, and lack of confidence. Students’ attitude towards mathematics has determined students’ achievement directly as well as the perspective of students, and their achievements are interdependent.
References
Agdie, T. G., Mekasha, M. T., Ali, A. B., Mamo, M., Mitiku, M., & Gone, S. (2019). Assessment of Teachers’ Attitude, Students’ Attitude and Performance in Mathematics in Secondary Schools: A Case Study in Hawassa City and Hawassa Zuria Woredas, Ethiopia. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 8(3), 94-107.
Ajayi, K. O., Lawani, A. O., & Adeyanju, H. I. (2011). Effects of students' attitude and self-concept on achievement in senior secondary school mathematics in Ogun State, Nigeria. Journal of research in national development, 9(2), 202-211.
Bergsten, C., & Frejd, P. (2019). Preparing pre-service mathematics teachers for STEM education: an analysis of lesson proposals. ZDM, 51(6), 941-953.
Bohner, G., & Wänke, M. (2002). Attitudes and Attitude Change. East Sussex: Psychology Press.
Demssie, M. (2019). Perceived factors affecting students’ mathematics performance in North Showa Zone Secondary Schools in Ethiopia. International Journal of Advanced Research in Engineering and Applied Sciences, 8(5), 21-36.
Engida, M., & Zeytu, G. (2017). Assessing the Influence of Attitude Towards Mathematics on Achievement of Grade 10 and 12 Female Students in Comparison with Their Male Counterparts: Wolkite, Ethiopia. International Journal of Secondary Education, 5(5), 56-69.
Eshetu, A., Dilamo, O., Tsfaye, A., & Zinabu, G. (2009). Science and mathematics secondary education in Ethiopia. An Option paper presented at the Technical Workshop on Science and Mathematics Secondary Education in Africa (SEIA) Follow-up Program, Tunis.
Githua, B. N. (2013). Secondary school students’ perceptions of mathematics formative evaluation and the perceptions’ relationship to their motivation to learn the subject by gender in Nairobi and Rift Valley Provinces, Kenya. Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2(1), 174-183.
Mekuria, Y. S., Alemu, S. D., & Tadesse, H. (2018). Analysis of Students’ Commitment and Attitude towards Mathematics in Secondary School of Dega Woreda, Oromia National Regional State, Ethiopia. Humaniora, 9(2), 187-197.
Olaosebikan, F. (1985). Poor students’ Performance in School Certificate Science Examination: Causes and Remedies. STAN 27th Conference Proceedings, 137-142.
Oundo, M. B., & Chuka, K. (2013). Factors affecting mathematics academic counseling Services: the secondary school counsellors’ perspective. International Journal of Education and Research, 1(12), 57-85.
Sarwat, M., Safia, S., & Manzoor, H. A. (2013). Attitude towards Mathematics and Academic Achievement in Mathematics among Secondary Level Boys and Girls. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science (JHSS), 6(4), 38-41.
Silva, D. L., Tadeo, M. C., Delos Reyes, V., & Dadigan, R. M. (2006). Factors associated with non-performing Filipino students in mathematics: A vision of student’s cognitive and behavior management. Proceedings of the 2nd IMT-GT Regional conference on Mathematics, Statistics and Applications. Penang: Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Standslause, O. E., Maito, T. L., & Ochiel, J. O. (2013). Teachers and students attitude towards mathematics in secondary schools in Siaya County, Kenya. Asian Journal of Management Sciences and Education, 2(3), 116-123.
Tella, A. (2017). Teacher variables as predictors of academic achievement of primary school pupils mathematics. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 1(1), 16-33.
White, T. (2019). Artifacts, Agency and Classroom Activity: Materialist Perspectives on Mathematics Education Technology. Cognition and Instruction, 37(2), 169-200.
Zachariah, K. M., Komen, K., George, M. M., & George, R. N. (2012). Factors contributing to students’ poor performance in mathematics at Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education in Kenya: A case of Baringo County, Kenya. American International Journal of Contemporary Research, 2(6), 87-91.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
License and Copyright Agreement
In submitting the manuscript to the journal, the authors certify that:
- They are authorized by their co-authors to enter into these arrangements.
- The work described has not been formally published before, except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, thesis, or overlay journal. Please also carefully read Journal of Honai Math Posting Your Article Policy at http://journalfkipunipa.org/index.php/jhm/about
- That it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere,
- That its publication has been approved by all the author(s) and by the responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – of the institutes where the work has been carried out.
- They secure the right to reproduce any material that has already been published or copyrighted elsewhere.
- They agree to the following license and copyright agreement.
Copyright
Authors who publish with Journal of Honai Math agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.