Senior Secondary School Mathematics Research Articles

Interest and Academic Achievement of Students in Senior Secondary School Mathematics as Determined by Teachers' Self-Efficacy

This study examined the degree to which Teacher’s Self-efficacy determined students’ interest and academic achievement in Mathematics. The study adopted correlational research design. The study was guided by two (2) research question and two (2) hypotheses. The population of the study consist of 8 Mathematics Teachers and 5125 Senior Secondary II (SS2) students. A sample of 29 mathematics teachers and 400 students was used for the study. Four instruments were employed for data collection in this study. They are Teachers’ Self-efficacy scale (TSS), Students Mathematics Interest Scale (SMIS) which was developed by researcher and students’ Mathematics Achievement Pro-forma (SMAP). Face validity as well as construct validity were used to the instruments. The reliability indices of the Students Mathematics Interest Scale (SMIS) and Teachers Self-efficacy scale (TSS) were computed using Cronbach's Alpha (α). Regression analysis was performed to analyse the data, and regression ANOVA was utilised to test the hypotheses at the significance level of 0.05. The study's results, among other things, demonstrated that students’ interest in mathematics is determined by teachers self-efficacy (11.1%), found significant (p> 0. 05) determinant of students Interest in Mathematics, it also showed that students’ achievement in Mathematics is determined by teachers self-efficacy (11.2%), found to be significant determinants of students achievement in mathematics. Conclusion were drawn and implications of the findings of the study was highlighted. It was recommended that Teachers should strive to develop high self-efficacy, positive aversion and low anxiety towards the teaching of Mathematics in schools as to boost students’ interest and achievement in mathematics; Government agencies and school administrators should train in-service and pre- service teachers for self-efficacy to enhance students’ interest and academic achievement.

Social Networking And Students’ Academic Achievements In Mathematics In Senior Secondary Schools, Ikom Education Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria

Social Networking And Students’ Academic Achievements In Mathematics In Senior Secondary Schools, Ikom Education Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria

Availability and Utilization of Instructional Materials for Teaching Mathematics in Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria

Availability and Utilization of Instructional Materials for Teaching Mathematics in Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria

Effects of Test Anxiety On Students’ Performance in Mathematics in Senior Secondary Schools in Ekiti State

Effects of Test Anxiety On Students’ Performance in Mathematics in Senior Secondary Schools in Ekiti State

Effect of Computer Assisted Instruction on Mathematics achievement among Secondary School Students in Delta State, Nigeria

The study investigated the effect of computer assisted instruction in Mathematics achievement among secondary school students in Delta State. Two research questions were raised and two hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted the pre-test, post-test, non-randomized control group design and the population of the study comprised of 1337 senior secondary school students in Aniocha South Local Government Area Delta State. Purposive sampling technique was used to select two public and two private schools to give a sample size of 141 students. The research instrument was the Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT). The. Kuder-Richardson Formula- 20 yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.80. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, t-test and ANCOVA statistics. The study revealed, that there was a significant difference between the mean achievement scores of students taught mathematics with computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) method and those taught using the lecture method. A significant difference was found in the mean scores of Mathematics students taught with computer assisted instruction based on their gender. It was concluded that computer assisted instruction method is an effective method for improving students’ mathematics achievement in secondary school students in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State. It is therefore recommended that computer assisted instruction should be applied in the teaching of Mathematics in senior secondary schools in Delta State to improve academic achievements. Keywords: Mathematics Academic Achievement, Computer Assisted Instruction, Academic Abilities, High Academic Ability, Low Academic Ability

Effects of Peer Assessment Strategy on Students’ Attitude and Achievement in Mathematics in Senior Secondary Schools in Jos Metropolis, Nigeria.

The study focused on effects of peer assessment strategy on students’ attitude and achievement in Mathematics in senior secondary schools in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. The study was guided by four objectives and four Research Questions. The study adopted the non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental research design. The target population of this study was 2,786 SSS 1 students. 120 students were used as sample for the study. Simple random sampling technique was used in selecting the sample for the study. The data were collected using Mathematic Achievement Test (MAT) and Mathematics Attitude Scale Questionnaire (MASQ). The validity of the two instruments was established using two experts, one from mathematics unit of the Department of science and technology education and one from Research, measurement and evaluation of the Department of Educational Foundations all of the university of Jos. Reliability coefficients of 0.93 and 0.85 were obtained for the (MAT) and (MASQ) respectively. The data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed that, peer assessment strategy had significant effect on the attitude and achievement of students in Mathematics. A significant difference exists in the achievement mean scores of students exposed to peer assessment strategy and those not exposed to it. Significant difference also exists in the attitude mean scores of students exposed to peer assessment strategy and those not exposed to it. It was recommended among others that peer assessment strategy should be incorporated into the teaching and learning of mathematics at the senior secondary school level since it stimulates students to effectively learn and retain the concepts presented to them.

ENHANCING MATHEMATICS EDUCATION IN RURAL GAMBIA: INVESTIGATING THE INFLUENCE OF TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE ON STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

This study investigatesthe influence of teachersqualifications and experience on the academic performance of senior secondary school mathematics students in rural Gambia.To achieve this objective, I conducted a rigorous analysis of quantitative data sourced from surveys administered by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education through the Education Management Information System (EMIS) and data from the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC)-The Gambia.To ensure a representativesample, I employed a simple random sampling technique. I selected 35 schools out of the total 57 public secondary schools in rural Gambia that presented candidates in the 2022 West African Senior School Certificate Examination in mathematics. Subsequently, the collected data undergoes statistical analysis using IBM SPSS-25. A series of independent t-test analyses wereconducted to compare the mean academic performance scores across various student groups while testing the formulated hypotheses at a significance level of 0.05.The studys findings revealed a substantial impact of teachersqualifications and experience on student performance in mathematics. Considering these findings, one recommended action is to encourage and support secondary school teachers to pursue higher education degrees, particularly a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) specializing in mathematics.

Social Element Hindering the Learning of Mathematics in Senior Secondary Schools in Waterloo

Social Element Hindering the Learning of Mathematics in Senior Secondary Schools in Waterloo

SENIOR SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ AWARENESS AND PERCEPTIONS OF ICT RESOURCES FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

This study therefore investigated senior school Mathematics teachers’ awareness and perceptions of ICT resources for teaching and learning of Mathematics: a case of Nigeria. A descriptive research of the survey type was employed. The population for the study consisted of all Senior Secondary School Mathematics teachers in Kwara-Central, Kwara State, Nigeria where two hundred and fifty five Mathematics (255) teachers were involved in the study. Public and private school Mathematics teachers were selected using simple random sampling technique. The research instrument used in the study was “Mathematics Teachers’ Awareness and Perceptions of ICT Resources Questionnaire” (MTAPIRQ). A reliability value of 0.83 was determined using Cronbach alpha in the SPSS version 22. Data were analyzed using percentage and chi-square statistical tools at 0.05 significant level. The result revealed that Mathematics teachers are aware and have positive perceptions of ICT resources for teaching and learning. The result finally revealed that teachers’ perceptions are not dependent on their years of teaching experience. Recommendations were therefore made.

Comparative Analysis of Male and Female Students Academic Performance Among Senior Secondary School Mathematics in Katsina State

Comparative Analysis of Male and Female Students Academic Performance Among Senior Secondary School Mathematics in Katsina State

The Degree of Using Instructional Technology in Teaching and Learning Mathematics in Delta State, Nigeria

This work aimed to study the accessibility and use of educational technology for teaching mathematics in senior secondary schools in Delta State. Descriptive survey design was used in the work. 60 mathematics teachers in 30 secondary schools were the sample of the work; simple random technique was used to select them from the overall population of 75 secondary schools in Delta State. Two teachers’ questionnaire titled use and preventing factors mathematics questionnaire (r =0.77) were utilized to collect data. Simple percentage, mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the data. The findings showed that there were laboratory equipment and audio educational technology but were not fully used; there were no audio visual technologies and were not used to teach mathematics. Also, lack of money, poor application law, demotivation etc prevented the delivery and use of educational materials for mathematics teaching. The study gave the recommendation that Mathematics teachers should use the educational technology that is available and government should provide enough money to procure educational technology.

Trap of Social Media: Implications on Students’ Learning Outcomes in Senior Secondary School Mathematics

Evidence abounds that excessive smartphone use is often linked to difficulties in cognitive emotion, regulation, poor cognitive function, addiction to social networking, shyness, poor sleep habits, and low self-esteem. It has also been found that cellphone usage badly affects the mental health of adolescents by making them anxious, depressed, and angry. People also lose concentration while using a cell phone. Mathematics learning requires critical thinking, sustained attention span, and unbroken concentration. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of the non-use of mobile phones by students and their learning outcomes in Mathematics using a pre-test and post-test control group quasi-experimental design. Two research instruments were used to generate data for the study via Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) and Mathematics Attitude Questionnaire (MAQ). Two hypotheses were generated to guide the study. A sample size of 120 students was used for the study. The data collected were analyzed using a mean score, standard deviation, and Pearson correlation. The study's findings showed that loss of concentration and short attention span were common phenomena among students when allowed to use cell phones during school hours, affecting their academic achievement to a greater extent. The study also revealed that smartphone use is susceptible to distraction and inadequate concentration in the classroom. Therefore, it is recommended that the use of cell phones among students in secondary schools should be limited to outside school hours. Mathematics is a thing of the mind. It requires critical thinking, sustained attention plan, and concentration for optimal learning outcomes in the subject.

Effect of Assessment for Learning Strategy (AFLS) on Student’s Achievement and Interest in Senior Secondary School Mathematics in Ondo State

The paper examined the effect of assessment for learning strategy (AFLS) on Student’s Achievement and interest in Senior Secondary School Mathematics in Ondo State. The study employed quasi experimental research design involving the non-randomized prelest, postlest, control group. The population comprises all Senior Secondary II students in Akoko North East Local Government, Area of Ondo State. A sample size of 100 Senior Secondary II students from two public Secondary school was used for the study. The sample was randomly grouped into one experimental and control. Data were collected using Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) (r=0.76) and Mathematical Interest Inventory (MII) (r =0.82). Two hypotheses were generated to guide the study. The findings revealed that there was significant effect of instrument on students’ performance and interest with a (F value 4.161 and p value 0.000) at 0.005 level of significance based on the findings, it was recommended that Assessment for learning strategy should be employed or adopted in teaching Secondary students to enhance their interest in mathematics.

Analyzing the Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on Students' Retention Ability in Selected Science Subjects

This research was aimed at determining the retention ability of students in science subjects in secondary schools during the COVID-19 lockdown. Three hypotheses were tested. Descriptive research design was used in this study. The population of the study comprised senior secondary school mathematics students in SS 3 in some selected secondary schools in Delta and Lagos States. The sample used for this study was 125 science students from selected secondary schools, who were willing to take part in the study. The instrument used for this study is the Science Retention Test (SRT). Data obtained were analyzed using SPPS version 25. The Bayesian Statistics was used to test the hypotheses stated for the study. Results obtained showed that the mean and standard deviation of student scores in mathematics, biology and chemistry before the COVID-19 lockdown was 69.50±17.40, while at resumption, their mean and standard deviation score stood at 53.29±17.46, with Bayes value of 4.0, which indicated that the student's scores before COVID-19 lockdown were higher than their retention scores and significantly differed. There was however no significant difference in the retention scores of male and female students in the study area. The mean and standard deviation of the retention score for private school students was 55.4±11.38, while that of the public school students was 51.93±20.41, with Bayes Factor of 4.03 approximately 4.0, which indicated a moderate evidence for the null hypothesis, which stated that there was no significant difference in the retention score of students from public and private secondary schools. Although the lockdown was inevitable, it is recommended that measures be taken to remedy the situation by providing necessary internet devices for the students, so that those from less financially capable homes will be afforded the opportunity to study online in order to help in their retention ability.

Gender Differences in the Academic Performance of Students in Senior Secondary School Mathematics

Gender Differences in the Academic Performance of Students in Senior Secondary School Mathematics

Effect of Problem-Based Learning Approach on Students’ Academic Performance in Senior Secondary Mathematics

Conventional teaching method alone cannot enhance the mathematical creativity and thinking skills needed in the 21st Century. Therefore, modern teaching methods are needed to facilitate students’ problem-solving skills. This study examined the effect of the problem-based learning (PBL) approach on students’ academic performance in senior secondary Mathematics. The pretest-posttest control, quasi-experimental design, was adopted in the study. An intact class of Senior Secondary School (II) Mathematics students (108) from two randomly Selected Senior Secondary schools in Akinyele Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria, were used selected. Four null hypotheses were formulated and tested using Analysis of Covariance at the alpha level of 0.05. Results revealed that problem-based learning approach enhanced students’ academic performance in Mathematics (F1, 108= 7.130; p = (.009) < .05). It also revealed that gender has no main effect on the academic performance of students (F1, 108= .051; p = (.821) > .05). In addition, there was no significant interaction effect of PBL and gender on students’ academic performance in Mathematics (F1, 108= .000; p = (.985) > .05), and; there is a significant main effect of PBL on the quantitative ability of students (F1, 108= 6.756; p = (.010) < .05). It was recommended that stakeholders in education and the government need to train and retrain teachers on adopting the PBL approach in Mathematics classrooms to enhance students’ academic performance.

Influence of two modes of instructional methods on students’ academic achievement in senior secondary school mathematics in Afijio Local Government Area of Oyo

The increase in the failure rate of students sitting for final year exams, for example, West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in mathematics, is a serious concern to both students, teachers, and parents. A review of the WASSCE results statistics by the National Bureau of Statistics (2016-2018) indicated that the achievement of learners in mathematics knowledge, especially in Oyo State in private senior secondary schools, continued to reduce. For example, the percentage of students who have 5% credits and above, including Mathematics is 24% in 2016, the performance reduced to 16.8% in 2017 while in 2018 the result remained at 17.2% [1]. Also, a review of the Chief Examiner’s comment on students’ weaknesses in general mathematics paper two from (2009-2018) shows that students’ weaknesses are primarily expressed in the areas of circle geometry and its application, word problems, and interpretation of graphs [2]. In dealing with these weaknesses, the Chief Examiner suggested that teachers should use instructional aids in teaching and learning processes, teachers should give more worked examples during class lessons and a more appropriate teaching method be employed. Therefore, this research work was carried out to examine if a change in teaching method will influence students’ academic performance in Mathematics. In this research, the two methods adopted by the researcher are the Traditional (chalk and talk) method and the Montessori (self-discovery) method. The tools used for data collection were Mathematics Achievement Test (M. A. T), interview, and field observation. Analysis of the results gathered revealed that students that were taught using the Montessori method had a cumulative 57.1% pass. In comparison, their counterparts who used the traditional way had an overall 49.6% pass. These findings revealed that participants from the experimental group performed better than students in the control group.

Influence of Gender and Environmental Factors on Students’ Conceptions of Selected Mathematical Concepts in the Senior Secondary School Mathematics Curriculum

Influence of Gender and Environmental Factors on Students’ Conceptions of Selected Mathematical Concepts in the Senior Secondary School Mathematics Curriculum

Mathematics productive disposition as a correlate of senior secondary school students’ achievement in mathematics in Nigeria

ABSTRACT This study through a quantitative research methodology investigated mathematics productive disposition as a correlate of senior secondary school students' achievement in mathematics in Nigeria. A correlational research design was implemented for the study in which three research questions were answered. The sample consisted of 1600 senior secondary school year three mathematics students randomly selected from 40 schools in education district III of Lagos State, Nigeria. Two instruments namely: Mathematics Productive Disposition Scale (MPDS with a reliability coefficient of 0.88) and Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT with a reliability coefficient of 0.88) were used for data collection. The collected data were analysed using Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple regression analysis at 0.05 level of significance. Results showed that the senior secondary school students recorded high mathematics productive disposition. There were statistically significant relationships between mathematics productive disposition and its dimensions with achievement in mathematics among senior secondary school students. The eight dimensions of mathematics productive disposition made statistically significant contributions of 84.3% to the prediction of achievement in mathematics. Based on these findings, it was advocated that the senior secondary school mathematics teachers should develop students' mathematics productive disposition to stimulate their achievement in mathematics.

Students' achievement in mathematics: Analysing the influence of gender and school nature

This study examined students’ achievement in senior secondary school mathematics qualifying examination in Kano State, the influence of sex and schools nature on their achievement in mathematics has been assessed. Ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. A pro forma was used to collect data from a sample of 300 students, selected using stratified random sampling procedure from the science secondary schools in Kano state Nigeria. The data collected were the students’ performances in mathematics achievement test. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and independent sample t-test to test the hypotheses at 0.05, level of significance. Overall results showed that students performed below average and a significant gender difference exists in mathematics performance. Similarly, a significant difference was also observed with respect to schools nature (boarding and day schools); day school students performed above better than boarding school students. The implication of this finding is that despite government continuous efforts, the academic achievement of students in mathematics through above hypothetical pass mark fell below the required average mark for admission into Nigerian universities. It was recommended among others that teachers should regularly motivate students to develop a good study habit and test them on the various mathematics concepts and feedback provided should be used to prepare them for credible achievement in mathematics at both internal and external examinations. Keywords: Gender; mathematics; school nature; students’ performance