Levels Of Mathematics Achievement Research Articles

Primary Mathematics School Teachers’ Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge and Learners’ Achievement

The goal of this study is to determine the level of primary mathematics school teacher’s Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) and the achievement of learners of the selected districts of the Division of Butuan City, Agusan del Norte. The participating teachers were able to complete the survey on the following components namely, technology knowledge, content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, technological pedagogical knowledge, technology and pedagogy and content knowledge, and the mathematics achievement level of learners. This study employed descriptive – correlational design to describe the variables and the relationship among them. The results revealed that teachers have high knowledge on the seven components of TPACK and obtained highest average on the technological pedagogical knowledge directly proportional with the mathematics achievement level of the learners. Though teachers showcasing their mastery level of teaching, still they need the support of technology to address the immediate concerns in dealing with the new normal. Thus, teachers may be encouraged to attend conferences, seminar – workshops, and training related to technology specifically training on technology applications that promotes easy techniques in solving word problems in primary grade mathematics.

Subtraction by addition in young multi-digit subtraction learners: A choice/no-choice study

When solving subtraction problems such as 83–46, children use the direct subtraction (DS) strategy (e.g., 83 – 40 = 43, 43 – 6 = 37) or the subtraction by addition (SBA) strategy (e.g., 46 + 4 = 50, 50 + 30 = 80, 80 + 3 = 83, so the answer is 4 + 30 + 3 = 37). This study is the first to use the choice/no-choice method to examine DS and SBA use in third-graders (8- and 9-year-olds) with varying mathematical achievement levels. All children (N = 66) solved a series of small difference subtractions (e.g., 72 – 64) and large difference subtractions (e.g., 94 – 8) in one choice condition (choice between DS and SBA) and two no-choice conditions (obligatory use of either DS or SBA). Results showed that, although only the DS strategy was taught to these children, in the choice condition nearly half the children already made use of the SBA strategy and that SBA was used on one in five subtractions. Whereas DS was the fastest strategy on large difference items, interestingly, children achieved a similar level of accuracy with the SBA strategy compared with DS. Finally, 1 in 5 children made problem-based adaptive strategy choices, and children were generally adaptive to their individual strategy speed. This study clearly demonstrates the nascent use of SBA in third-graders and provides evidence for the plea to introduce SBA as an alternative to DS already in the lower grades of elementary school.

Language Ability Accounts for Ethnic Difference in Mathematics Achievement.

The mathematics achievement of minority students has always been a focal point of educators in China. This study investigated the differences in mathematics achievement between Han and minority pupils to determine if there is any cognitive mechanism that can account for the discrepancy. We recruited 236 Han students and 272 minority students (including Uygur and Kazak) from the same primary schools. They were tested on mathematics achievement, language abilities, and general cognitive abilities. The results showed that Han pupils had better mathematics achievement scores and better Chinese language ability than minority students. After controlling for age, gender, and general cognitive abilities, there were still significant differences in mathematics achievement between Han and minority students. However, these differences disappeared after controlling for language ability. These results suggest that the relatively poor levels of mathematics achievement observed in minority students is related to poor Chinese language skills.

Students' Skills In Solving Non-Routine Mathematical Problems

Mental skills are required for individuals to think quickly and make correct decisions. It can be said that mental skills, which play an important role in the acquisition of thinking and questioning skills, are only possible with creative, critical, and other high-level thinking skills. In this regard, the PISA exam, which reveals the mathematics achievement levels of countries, is important. Due to the absence of such an exam in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), the descriptive scanning method, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in order to determine the effects on students' abilities in solving non-routine mathematical problems with the methods applied in the mathematics course. Based on this research conducted to determine the skills of 9th-grade high school students in solving non-routine mathematical problems, the mathematics achievement levels of the schools that accept students with special exams in the TRNC have been revealed.

Event-related brain potentials study of arithmetic fact retrieval in children with different math achievement levels

ABSTRACT Fact retrieval deficits have been documented in children with mathematical learning disabilities. We assessed the retrieval of arithmetic facts in neurotypical 9-to-10-year-old children with different mathematical achievement levels using event-related potential methods while performing an arithmetic verification task (addition, subtraction, and multiplication). Forty-eight participants were divided into High (H), Average (A), and Low (L) mathematics performance according to their scores on The Wide Range Achievement Test 4 (WRAT4). Children determined whether appearing digits matched or not the correct solution of the preceding problem. L group showed a lower number of correct responses, prolonged reaction times, and poorer performance on working memory (WM) tasks. P300 component showed significantly higher amplitudes for correct solutions in H, while N270 showed higher amplitudes for incorrect solutions. L children showed difficulty in recovering arithmetic facts and poorly modulated N270 and P300 components, probably reflecting WM processing problems affecting the construction and retrieval of numerical information.

An evaluation of the impact of flipped‐classroom teaching on mathematics proficiency and self‐efficacy in Saudi Arabia

AbstractThe flipped classroom (FC) is becoming an increasingly popular teaching method in mathematics education. However, few studies have rigorously evaluated its effectiveness, and less so in countries where students' level of mathematics achievement is low. In this study, we evaluated the impact of an FC intervention in Saudi Arabia, the country with the lowest level of maths achievement in the last iteration of the Trends International Mathematics and Science Study TIMSS . A total of 281 secondary school students received eight weeks of algebra training using either FC or traditional instruction, and were tested on algebra problems taken from past national standardised tests, as well as on a measure of self‐efficacy. Students who received the intervention showed higher self‐efficacy but no significant difference in maths achievement was observed. Students' and teachers' perceptions of the intervention were positive.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic The flipped classroom is an increasingly popular teaching method in mathematics education. There is evidence that the method is beneficial for students. However, there have been very few rigorous evaluation studies of flipped classrooms and most were conducted in the US, Taiwan and China. Whether the beneficial impact of flipped classrooms can be generalised to other countries, particularly countries with low proficiency in mathematics, remains unclear. What this paper adds We evaluated the impact of the flipped classroom in Saudi Arabia, a country with low proficiency in mathematics and limited technological resources. We used a rigorous design (with a control group) and educationally relevant outcome measures. We found that a flipped classroom can have a positive impact on students' self‐efficacy, and that the method was perceived positively by both teachers and students. Based on interview data, we also documented the perceptions and concerns of the participating teachers. Implications for practice and/or policy Flipped classrooms showed promising results in a context which differs markedly from previous evaluations, suggesting that the method can be beneficial in a range of contexts. This positive impact was observed despite the intervention being relatively short (six weeks) and implemented by teachers previously unfamiliar with the flipped classroom method.

Social Contexts and Gender Disparities in Students’ Competence Beliefs: The Role of Gender-Stereotypical Beliefs and Achievement Patterns in the Classroom for Students’ Self-Concept in Gender-Stereotypical Subjects

This study investigated the role of social contexts for gender disparities in education by examining the associations between gender-stereotypical beliefs (GSB) of students, peers, and teachers and gender achievement patterns in the classroom and students’ self-concept in language and math. We applied multilevel models with school fixed effects to a unique sample of combined survey and register data from Denmark to analyze detailed learning environments within schools and their correlations with gender differences in self-concept across subject domains. Results showed a gender gap in favor of boys in mathematics, net of academic achievement that were consistent across classrooms. In language, the influence of gender varied across classrooms. Furthermore, although GSB and gender achievement patterns did not alter the gender gap in either language or mathematics, we found that they moderated the relationship between gender and self-concept in heterogeneous ways across subjects. While teachers’ GSB increased the gender gap in language by decreasing boys’ self-concept, the students’ own GSB was more important for students’ self-concept in mathematics. Moreover, girls’ mathematics self-concept was lower in classrooms, in which, female peers had a relatively higher level of mathematics achievement compared to boys, suggesting that counter-stereotypical achievement patterns in the classroom do not increase students’ self-concept in subjects with strong gender stereotypes. On the contrary, girls are most likely to compare themselves to female peers, resulting in a negative association with self-evaluations. Our results highlighted the role played by social contexts in schools in the generation of gender differences in self-concept in traditionally stereotyped subject domains, but also showed important differences in how boys and girls were affected by their learning environments across different subject domains, suggesting there are different mechanisms at play.

Exploring Particular Learner Factors Associated with South African Mathematics Learners’ Achievement: Gender Gap or Not

Mathematics is a gateway to science-related careers and all stakeholders want to improve the achievement levels in mathematics. In this study we use data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2015 to investigate the association between the learner situational factors of gender, grade level age appropriateness, school location and test language familiarity with the mathematics achievement. We are particularly interested in whether gender can predict mathematics achievement, after taking into account these learner situational factors. The study used multiple regression to investigate the association between the variables where the mathematics achievement scores were calculated out of a possible 1000 scale points, with a mean of 500. The average score for the South African participants was 372. The regression predicts that learners who attend school in a rural and small village school are expected to achieve 63 and 48 points lower, respectively, than their counterparts from a similar background. In terms of the age effect, the regression predicts overall that a learner who is above the expected age for Grade 9 will get 60 points lower than a learner who is at the appropriate age the grade from a similar background. Furthermore the results show that if school location, familiarity with the test and age appropriateness are held constant, boys do better on average than girls by seven points and this is a significant effect. This result is unexpected since in the original data, the mean of the girls’ scores was on average higher than that of the boys. The study illustrates that gendered differences can only be adequately understood when other situational factors are considered. In order to improve the equity of the outcomes, targeted systemic interventions are necessary, which focus on improving the effectiveness of instruction and quality of learning opportunities so as to mediate the effect of these situational factors.

Investigation of primary school students solving arithmetic verbal problems

The study determined the arithmetic verbal problem solving skills of primary school students and to examine them according to grade level and mathematics achievement variables. The study was designed according to the relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods. The population of the research consists of students studying in public primary schools in the central districts of a large city in the south of Turkey. The sample consisted of 1,865 students determined according to the disproportionate stratified sampling method. The "arithmetic verbal problem test for students" prepared by the researchers was used as a data collection tool. As a result of the research, it was revealed that the students were most successful in the problems of combining and separating with “consequence unknown”, then “with change unknown” and “initial unknown”, but they were less successful in part-whole type problems. Thus, it was concluded that as the mathematics achievement and grade levels of the students increased, their success in solving verbal problems also increased.

The remarkably frequent, efficient, and adaptive use of the subtraction by addition strategy: A choice/no-choice study in fourth- to sixth-graders with varying mathematical achievement levels

We investigated elementary school children's use of direct subtraction (DS) and subtraction by addition (SBA) when mentally solving multi-digit subtractions. Fourth- to sixth-grade children of varying mathematical achievement levels were offered subtractions in one choice condition (choice between DS or SBA) and two no-choice conditions (mandatory use of either DS or SBA). Results showed that children solved slightly less than half of the subtractions in the choice condition with the untaught SBA strategy, and used this strategy more efficiently compared to DS, especially on subtractions with a small (e.g., 504 − 476 =?) difference between minuend and subtrahend. Children were adaptive for the numerical characteristics of the subtractions and their individual strategy speed, and sixth-graders were also adaptive for their individual strategy accuracy. Our results concerning the frequent, efficient, and adaptive use of SBA, even in younger and mathematically lower achieving children, challenge mathematics instruction practices that focus heavily on DS.

The Effect OfLearning Independence On The Mathematics Learning Achievement Of VII Grade Student Of SMP Negeri 11 Baubau In The Covid-19 Pandemic Era

The Formulation of the problem in this study was whether there was an influence of learning independence on the mathematics learning achievement of VII grade student of SMP Negeri 11 Baubau in the Covid-19 pandemic era. This study aimed to determine the effect of independent learning on mathematics learning achievement of seventh grade student of SMP Negeri 11 Baubau in the Covid-19 pandemic era. This study was an Ex-post facto research. The population in this study were all seventh grade student of SMP Negeri 11 Baubau which consisted of 3 classes with a total of 91 students. The samples taken were 61 students from the total population. Data collection techniques in this study used a questionnaire and documentation. Data were analysed using simple linear regressions analysis. From the results of descriptive analysis of the data showed that the level of student learning independence in general was still in the medium category with a percentage of 70.49%. Meanwhile, the level of student achievement in mathematics was generally still in the medium category with a percentage of 68.85%. Based on the results of calculations using simple linear regressions equation: Y = 0.957 + 0.621X. The results of the study concluded that it showed that learning independence had an effect on the mathematics learning achievement of VII grade student of SMP Negeri 11 Baubau in the Covid-19 pandemic era.this was indicated by the t-count value of 7.227, which was greater than the t-table value of 2.001, which was significant at 0.000 < 0.05.

Usage of reading comprehension to enhance word problem solving skills in mathematics

Thailand’s national tests, O-NET, are administered at the 3rd, 6th, and 9th grade levels. Mathematics is one of the tests. Achievement levels in Mathematics are consistently low. Several studies have shown that there is a link between Mathematics achievement and reading comprehension proficiency. Because previous studies were carried out in other jurisdictions, this study aims to correct this situation. Random sampling was used to select the population from a field of 66 grade six students who were enrolled in a special English programme in a private school, Bangkok. 21 students met the sampling criteria. They sat for a pretest and a posttest test in reading comprehension and in word problem-solving skills in mathematics. Treatment was carried out over a period of 8 weeks. Results showed a high positive correlation between reading comprehension skills and achievement in word problem-solving skills in Mathematics. The results can serve as an encouragement to teachers and their supervisors to focus more directly on improving the reading comprehension skills of students as a means to increasing students’ scores on mathematical word-solving tests. 
 HIGHLIGHTS:
 
 This study provided the results that these two-skill were positively related and the improvement on reading comprehension skill could induce the development in word problem-solving skills because they both were affected by working memory as an essential key factor.
 Providing stress-free reading environments and activities could be an interesting option to improve student’s word problem-solving skills in Mathematics.

Examination of the Estimation Skills of 6th Grade Students and the Process of Comparison of their Estimations with Real Measurement Values

The aim of this research was to examine the measurement-based estimation skill levels of middle school 6th grade students and the processes of comparing their estimations with measurements. In this research, the case study design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. Six students one female and one male student, at low, medium and high mathematics achievement levels from a public middle school in the central districts of Ankara formed the study group. Activities were prepared, which included questions in different categories, both for estimating the length, area and liquid volume of the measurement, and for the proximity of objects to the student. In order to determine the study group, activities were applied to 35 students, and their measurement-based estimation skill levels were examined. While determining the levels, a method called “Evaluation of estimates by percentage of measurements” was used. Before conducting clinical interviews with the study group, the activities were applied to the students, the students were first allowed to make predictions, they were expected to compare their estimations with the possible real measurement without measuring, and then, in some questions, the students were asked to make measurements using tools and compare their estimations with the measurements. As a result, it was observed that the students' estimation skills based on measurement were at a low level. When they were asked to evaluate their estimations without measuring, it was concluded that the students were not successful and they had problems both in the use of measurement tools and in the measurement process while measuring.

Effects of Teaching in a Summer STEM Camp on the Mathematics Teaching Self-efficacy of Highly Qualified Preservice Secondary Mathematics Teachers

Educational opportunity gaps experienced by students of color living in poverty, with accompanying lower levels of mathematics achievement, remain a roadblock to their access to college-level training in STEM fields. To address this problem, secondary teachers must be confident in their ability to share mathematics content effectively with students from cultures different than their own. Bridging the opportunity gap is more likely with two elements in place: intellectually stimulating pre-college experiences and community partnerships that establish connections between underserved neighborhoods and resource-filled environments such as university campuses.
 This study explored the effects of teaching in a four-week STEM summer camp for ethnically diverse, high-needs middle school girls on the teaching self-efficacy of highly-qualified preservice secondary mathematics teachers, a group that has been less studied than preservice elementary teachers. Participants were scholarship students in a federally-funded teacher preparation scholarship program at an urban, metropolitan university. Teaching self-efficacy was measured by the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (MTEBI) and by follow-up qualitative analysis of questionnaire responses and focus groups. Participants’ gains on the MTEBI were significant for Personal Mathematics Teaching Efficacy, but not for Mathematics Teaching Outcome Expectancy. Qualitative analyses suggested that both instructional coaching and everyday interactions in a summer camp setting contributed strongly to the preservice teachers’ increased confidence about teaching mathematics to culturally diverse, high-needs learners.

A Multilevel Person-Centered Examination of Teachers' Workplace Experiences: Replication and Extension With Links to Instructional Support and Achievement.

In a replication and extension of an earlier study, we relied on person-centered analyses to identify teacher (Level 1) and school (Level 2) profiles based on teachers' experiences of job demands (barriers to professional development, disruptive student behavior), job resources (teacher collaboration, input in decision-making), and personal resources (self-efficacy). We examined data from 5,439 teachers working in 364 schools in Australia and 2,216 teachers working in 149 schools in England. Latent profile analysis revealed six teacher profiles: Low-Demand-Flourisher (11%), Mixed-Demand-Flourisher (17%), Job-Resourced-Average (11%), Balanced-Average (14%), Mixed-Resourced-Struggler (11%), and Low-Resourced-Struggler (36%). Two school profiles were identified: an Unsupportive school profile (43%) and a Supportive school profile (57%). Several significant relations between these profiles and teacher/school characteristics and work-related outcomes were also identified at both levels. Although our results generally replicated prior findings, some differences were also observed, possibly as a results of recent changes in policies regarding in teacher support and accountability. Next, we extended prior work using a subsample of the Australian teachers for whom we had matching student data. This second set of results revealed that schools with a greater proportion of low-SES students were more likely to present an Unsupportive school profile. Moreover, the Supportive school profile was associated with higher levels of student-reported instructional support and school-average achievement in reading, mathematics, and science.

دور التعلیم الإتقانی فی تعزیز مستوى التحصیل فی الریاضیات مع نموذج تطبیقی على تلامیذ الصف السادس الابتدائی

الملخص: هدفت الورقة البحثية بيان دور التعليم الإتقاني في تعزيز مستوى التحصيل في الرياضيات مع نموذج تطبيقي على تلاميذ الصف السادس الابتدائي، واستخدمت المنهج الوصفي، وجاءت مکونة من أربعة محاور على النحو التالي: المحور الأول: الإطار المفاهيمي للتعلم الإتقاني من حيث مفهومه ومميزاته، المحور الثاني: عيوب التعلم الإتقاني وکيفية التغلب عليها من خلال: توفير مقومات التعلم الإتقاني و تحقق متطلبات وإجراءات تفعيل التعلم الإتقاني لتعزيز مستوى التحصيل في الرياضيات لدى تلاميذ المرحلة الابتدائية فيما يتعلق بمراعاة مبادئ التعلم من أجل التمکن، ومراعاة مکونات التعلم الإتقاني، وتحقق خطوات تطبيق التعلم الإتقاني، وتفعيل دور المعلم في التعلم الإتقاني، وتفعيل دور المتعلم في التعلم الإتقاني، وتوفير المتطلبات الأساسية للتعلم الإتقاني، وجاء المحور الثالث عن: ملامح منهج CPA مع عرض بعض الأمثلة التطبيقية له، حيث تم ذکر نشأة منهج CPAوتعريفه وعرض خطواته وإجراءاته ومقارنته بالتعلم الإتقاني مع عرض تطبيقات من کتاب الرياضيات لشرح مفاهيم رياضية باستخدام منهج الـــــــــCPA، أما المحور الرابع فعرض: المثال تطبيقي للتعلم بالإتقان من کتاب الرياضيات للصف السادس. الکلمات المفتاحية: الرياضيات، التحصيل، التعلم الإتقاني. ABSTRACT: The Role of Mastery Learning in Enhancing the Level of Achievement in Mathematics with an Applied Model among the Sixth Grade Students This research paper aimed to explain the role of mastery education in enhancing the level of achievement in mathematics with an applied model among the sixth grade students. The research made use of the descriptive method, and it was composed of four main dimensions. The first dimension included the conceptual framework for mastery learning in terms of its concept and features. The second dimension tackled the obstacles of mastery learning and how to overcome them through providing the components of mastery learning and fulfilling the requirements and procedures for activating mastery learning to enhance the level of achievement in mathematics among elementary school students with regard to observing the principles of learning for mastery, taking into account the components of mastery learning, achieving the steps of applying mastery learning, activating the teacher's role in mastery learning, activating the learner’s role in mastery learning, and providing the basic requirements for mastery learning. The third dimension addressed the features of the CPA curriculum with some practical examples, the emergence of the CPA curriculum, its definition, presentation of its steps and procedures, and its comparison with mastery learning with an applications from a mathematics book to explain mathematical concepts using the CPA curriculum. The fourth dimension presented an applied example of mastery learning from Mathematics book among the sixth grade.

Farklı Öğrenme Yollarının Kullanıldığı Zengin Öğrenme Ortamlarının Matematiksel Muhakeme Becerisine ve Problem Çözmeye Yönelik Tutuma Etkisi

Bu araştırmanın amacı, farklı öğrenme yolları kullanılarak zenginleştirilen öğrenme ortamında öğrenme tercihlerine göre oluşturulan işbirlikli heterojen öğrenci gruplarıyla gerçekleştirilecek öğretimin matematiksel muhakeme becerisine ve problem çözmeye yönelik tutuma etkisini incelemektir. Çalışma Güneydoğu Anadolu bölgesinde bulunan bir il merkezinden rastgele seçilen bir devlet ortaokulunda okuyan yedinci sınıflar arasında matematik başarısı açısından orta düzeyde ve öğrenme stilleri açısından heterojen dağılım gösteren 23 öğrencinin katılımıyla gerçekleşmiştir. Zenginleştirilen öğrenme ortamlarında kesirler ve tamsayılar konularının öğretimi; teknoloji destekli uygulamalar, eğitsel oyunlar, somut materyaller ve karikatürler kullanılarak, günlük yaşamla ilişkilendirilerek ve işbirlikli heterojen gruplarla yapıcı tartışmalar yapılarak 6 hafta boyunca gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırma, nicel araştırma yaklaşımlarından öntest - sontest kontrol grupsuz deneysel desen kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmanın verileri, Matematiksel Muhakeme Testi (MMT)’ne ve Matematik Problemi Çözme Tutum Ölçeği (MPÇTÖ)’ne öntest ve sonteste verdikleri cevaplardan elde edilmiştir. MMT’ye verilen cevaplar Wilcoxon İşaretli Sıralar Testi ve Kruskal Wallis testi ile analiz edilmiştir. Ayrıca MMT’ye ilişkin bazı öğrenci cevapları öntest ve sonteste göre kıyaslanarak yorumlanmıştır. MPÇTÖ’ye verilen cevaplar ise ilişkili örneklemler için t-testi kullanılmıştır. Bu öğrenme ortamında gerçekleştirilen öğretimin öğrencilerin matematiksel muhakeme becerilerini anlamlı düzeyde geliştirdiği ve matematik problemi çözme tutumlarını anlamlı düzeyde iyileştirdiğini göstermiştir. Bu öğrenme ortamının her öğrenme stilline yönelik matematiksel muhakeme becerisini anlamlı düzeyde geliştirdiği ancak öğrenme stilleri açısından bir muhakeme becerisinin gelişiminde bir farklılaşmanın olmadığı tespit edilmiştir.

Is private supplementary tutoring effective? A longitudinally detailed analysis of private tutoring quality in China

In general, private supplementary tutoring is considered an effective means of improving academic achievement by parents. However, previous studies have produced partial or inconclusive results regarding its effectiveness. Thus, the present study conducted a comprehensive analysis based on a specially designed longitudinal survey of private supplementary mathematics tutoring among middle school students in China. The hierarchical linear analysis did not show a considerably significant positive effect of regular private tutoring, even when such tutoring continued throughout the summer vacation and school semester. The data also allowed a deeper inquiry into the role of the quality, quantity, and applicability of private tutoring. In addition, the heterogeneous effect of private supplementary tutoring across students with different mathematics achievement levels was explored, with possible explanations including the different learning styles of students from different groups, the ceiling effect of the testing tool, and the different learning needs of different groups of students. These results suggest that parents should carefully select private tutoring for their children, and that the government should provide more comprehensive professional guidelines to regulate the industry.

Perception of Students about Homework in Mathematics

Homework has been a source of debate in schools for the past several decades and will continue to be an important topic in the future. It is a traditional part of education but some debate its importance in the classroom. This study explored student perception of homework and their reported performance in basic and secondary level school mathematics. The research questions focused on student attitudes about homework, the relationship of students’ self-efficacy and support resources to their homework completion, and the relationship of students’ general level of achievement in mathematics with respect to gender, level and achievement level. The study involved a survey of 402 students of Tokha Municipality. The survey did not demonstrate reliable measurement of the hypothesized factors of purpose, self-efficacy, and support resources related to students’ overall perceptions about homework. However, overall, students reported positive attitudes and grades in math class. On the basis of gender and level in which students study, there is no significant difference on the perception while there is statistically significant difference on the basis of students' achievement in examination. It is recommended that a good and healthy home environment and sound teacher student relationship yields in good achievement score and boosts up overall perception on mathematics homework.

Comparative Study of Levels of Academic Self Esteem and Academic Achievement in Mathematics among Pupils of Two and Single Parent Families

The study aimed at comparing levels of academic self-esteem and academic achievement in mathematics among students of two and single parent families. Based on the purposes of the study two research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The design of the study was comparative survey research design. The population of the study comprised all 1,267 SS2 students in Owerri Municipal Council Area of Imo State. The instruments used for data collection were Academic Self Esteem Questionnaire (ASEQ) and Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) to obtain relevant data. The validity of the instruments was done by experts in Measurement and Evaluation and one expert each from Educational psychology and Mathematics Education. The reliability of the instruments was 0.72 and 0.85, determined using Pearson Product Moment Correlational (PPMC) statistics were used. Data collected were analyzed using t-test at 0.05 level of significance. There is a statistically significant difference in levels of academic self-esteem and academic achievement in mathematics among students from single parent families and those from two parent families.