Factors Influencing Students ’Academic Performance in Mathematics

Abstract

This paper attempts to compare students ’academic performance in mathematics on the basis of their level of mathematics anxiety. Moreover, students ’IQand SES are known to influence their academic performance in mathematics. Fence students ’IQand SES are included as control variables whose effect from academic performance in mathematics was removed statistically and then it was compared on the basis of the level of students ’mathematics anxiety was studied. The participants of the study included 703 students of standard 8th from S.S.C board schools. Mathematics anxiety was measured using Mathematics Anxiety Scale (MARS-I) by Karimi (2008). Students ’final examination marks in mathematics subject were considered as academic performance scores of mathematics. Results indicated that there is a significant difference in academic performance of students by mathematics anxiety. There is no significant difference in academic performance of students by mathematics anxiety when an effect of IQhas been removed statistically. This implies that the difference in students ’academic performance in mathematics on the basis of their mathematics anxiety arose on account of their IQrather than their mathematics anxiety. There is significant difference in academ ic performance of students by mathematics anxiety when effect of SES has been removed statistically. It may be concluded that the academic performance of students with low mathematics anxiety is significantly greater than that of students with moderate mathematics anxiety after controlling for their SES. The findings of the study would enable teachers to develop programmes to facilitate academic performance of students from different SES backgrounds and with different levels of IQ