Abstract
The study aimed at determining factors influencing poor performance of students in mathematics in selected Basic Schools in the Ningo Prampram District in Accra, Ghana. Descriptive research design was adopted in which random and convenience sampling method was used to select 60 teachers for the study. Data was collected through questionnaire analysed using SPSS version 21. The study found that the most highly ranked school environmental factors responsible for student’s low academic performance in mathematics were lack of supervision and monitoring of teachers by head teachers and circuit supervisors, larger class size and lack of teaching and learning materials in school. Similarly, the most highly ranked teacher factor that contributed to student’s low academic performance in mathematics was untrained teachers teaching the subject. Also, high level of absenteeism among students and unruly student behaviour were the most highly ranked student’s characteristics responsible for their poor performances in mathematics. For parental support, the highly ranked variables that contributed to poor performance in mathematics were parents not helping wards with their homework, inability of parents to provide wards essential instructional needs for mathematics studies and parents inability to approach the school to ascertain how their wards are faring in mathematics. However, independent t-test and ANOVA analyses did not find statistical differences between the gender of teachers and the qualifications with regards to perceived causes of low performance in mathematics. .It is recommended that metropolitan, directorate and circuit supervisors intensify supervision and provision of learning materials in schools.
Highlights
IntroductionSome Nigerian scholars have argued severally that private mission universities are glorified secondary schools (Kanabe, 2015; Michael, 2015) owing largely to the policies of these universities which are contrary to conventional tertiary institutions
In the past and in recent times, studies have explored several areas of student safety and development, most especially in developed nations where priority is placed on student affairs administration, but such efforts are yet to be examined in the literature emanating from Nigeria despite several criticism against the policies of the Nigerian private mission universities which seems to have been specially packaged to ensure student safety and development
Contrary to the belief of many critics on the violation of fundamental human rights, the study has shown nothing like violation but the existence of stringent policies to safeguard students‟ safety and development
Summary
Some Nigerian scholars have argued severally that private mission universities are glorified secondary schools (Kanabe, 2015; Michael, 2015) owing largely to the policies of these universities which are contrary to conventional tertiary institutions. The escalation of social problems such as violent demonstration, cultism, sexual harassment, examination misconduct, corruption, industrial strike and other in the public universities have resulted in disruption of normal academic calendar and poor quality of education. These among others prompted the emergence of private universities to rescue the nation‟s educational system from lethargies (AfNews, 2012; Michael, 2015; Nigeria, 2012; Okafor and Duru, 2010; Yusuf, 2017). The paper is divided into three sections namely: Introduction, literature review and concluding remarks
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