Exploring the influence of perception and interest in Mathematics on students mathematics achievement in Bole Senior High School

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to explore by means of quantitative, exploratory, descriptive and inferential methods of statistical analysis to investigate how students’ achievement in mathematics is affected by students’ perception and students’ interest to learn mathematics. The study further investigated the effect of students’ perception on students’ interest to learn mathematics. The study adopted purposive sampling method in selecting the school and a simple random sampling technique to administer 270 questionnaires to Bole Senior High School students in the Savanna Region of Ghana. A total number of 270 Students were given questionnaires on students’ interest in mathematics, students’ perception of mathematics and students’ achievement test to indicate their responses for the study. However, 232 questionnaires were properly responded, representing 85.9% response rate. The Results from 232 students who responded to the various questionnaire items revealed that students’ interest in mathematics is dependent on the perception and the misconception held by students about mathematics as a subject. Students’ achievement in mathematics was also found to be statistically significant on students’ interest to learn mathematics and perception held by students about mathematics. The findings indicated that when Bole Senior High School students have good perception about mathematics as well as interest to learn mathematics, their achievement in mathematics would improve significantly. Nonetheless, the analysis also revealed that variables such as age, the type of school attended, students’ access to textbooks was found to be independent on the student’s achievement in mathematics. The researcher suggest that further work on the factors and their level of effect on the students’ achievement in mathematics should be undertaken in other parts of the country