Abstract
Purpose: This study investigated the impact of ‘relative cost’, a component of the Expectancy-Value Theory, on the performance of Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) mathematics. It also investigated the impact of social influences (parents, teachers, and peers) on students' mathematics perceptions.
 Methodology: In this qualitative research study, focus groups were conducted with a purposive sample of 40 students selected based on their performance from 10 randomly sampled secondary schools. The primary aim was to gain a comprehensive understanding of the students' experiences and perspectives.
 Findings: The results indicate that when engaging with mathematics, students perceive costs in the form of effort, stress, loss of time, and loss of preferable alternatives. Additionally, the study shows that teachers come in third after parents and peers in terms of influence on students' mathematics perceptions.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Based on these findings, it is suggested that strategies be developed to mitigate these perceived costs and assist students in dealing with mathematics more effectively. This may include techniques for stress management, time management, or alternative teaching methods that make learning mathematics more pleasurable and less time-consuming.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
