Factors influencing the performance of mathematics among public secondary school students in Nairobi province

Abstract

This study was conducted in Nairobi province, Kenya. The main purpose of the study was to attempt to find out the existence or non-existence of a significant relationship between the following variables: Attitude of students and mathematics teachers and students performance, teachers' qualifications and students' performance, students' gender and career aspirations and their performance and teachers' teaching experience and students' performance. The population of the study was made up of all public secondary schools in Nairobi province, from which a research sample was drawn from sixteen schools. The sample comprised of three hundred and eighty four (384) mathematics students and thirty- three (33) - mathematics teachers. Three research instruments were used to collect data. The research instruments were: Students Questionnaire (SQ), Mathematics Students Performance Test (MSPT) and Mathematics Teacher Questionnaire (MTQ). Data was collected from all the sixteen (16) schools in the sample. Data was tabulated and analyzed using simple descriptive statistics like percentages, means and other measures of central tendencies, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r) and Fisher's Exact Test were used to determine relationships between variables. From the data collected the following findings were made of a significant relationship existed between attitudes towards mathematics by secondary school students and performance in mathematics. A significant relationship existed between teachers' professional qualifications and students' mathematics performance. There was a significant relationship between attitudes of the teachers towards mathematics and performance of students. There existed a significant relationship between teachers teaching experience and students' performance in mathematics. A significant relationship existed between students' gender and mathematics performance. A significant relationship existed between students' career aspirations and their performance in mathematics. On the strength of the main findings some of the recommendations made were: There is need to take measures to train mathematics teachers in terms of giving them professional content as well as subject matter content. There is need to ensure that students' attitude is enhanced which in turn will improve their performance in mathematics There is need to enhance career guidance in schools so that students can decide on their future careers early enough. This will enhance performance in mathematics since most careers are mathematics oriented.