Factors influencing students’ performance in mathematics at Puntland secondary school certificate examination in Puntland state, Somalia

Abstract

This research aimed to examine factors influencing students’ performance in mathematics at Puntland secondary school certificate examination in Puntland state, Somalia. The study was guided by four objectives: to assess how the teachers’ professional qualifications in Mathematics affected students’ performance in secondary schools in Puntland State, to establish how adequacy of teaching- learning resource materials in mathematics affected students’ performance at secondary school, to assess how students’ perceptions of their career development affected performance in Mathematics at secondary school and to establish how students’ previous primary school achievement influenced their performance in Mathematics at secondary school. The study adopted the Education Production Function Theory by Schulz (1961). The study adopted a descriptive survey design targeting 20 supervisors, 25 head teachers, 45 teachers and 1099 students. Data was analyzed and presented in percentages, frequencies, graphs and tables. The study revealed that most of the teachers have necessary qualifications for teaching mathematics at secondary school level, but the methodologies they used were mainly teacher-centered. The study also found out that there is insufficient mathematics resource materials; a textbook: student ratio is on average 1:10 which does not favour students to do individual assignments in class or at home. The students’ have high perception on the career development in mathematics; students perceived mathematics as important for their life. On the contrary, teachers, head teachers and most of the supervisors have the opinion that the students’ have poor attitude towards mathematics because of their dismal performance. They all felt that students have weak foundation in mathematics. Further study of other factors affecting the students’ performance and teaching methodologies is suggested.