Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate students‘ perception of mathematics in
senior high schools and its impact on academic performance. The study examines the
factors that influence these perceptions and finds contextual factors that underpin
innovative mathematics teaching and learning in senior high schools in Ghana. Based
on the Social learning theory of Albert Bandura, the study centred on Two hundred
ten (210) students from three senior high schools in the Birim Central Municipality.
The study was approached quantitatively and based on the positivist paradigm.
Structured interviews with Likert-scale responses were used to collect data. The items
on the questionnaire were categorised and additively indexed into five variables.
Multiple linear regression was used to analyse the first objective followed by Pearson
correlation to assess the impact of perception on academic performance in
mathematics. The findings in this study according to the data presented argued the
students' perception must have a great significance to the students' academic
performance in mathematics. The student's socioeconomic background, teacher
pedagogy, and mastery of the subject matter all play significant roles in the students‘
perception of mathematics. A positive or negative perception will yield a low or high
performance of students in mathematics. The study recommended that mathematics
teachers must be proactive in providing a fear-free environment for the teaching and
learning of mathematics in secondary schools. Furthermore, teachers, school
authorities, and parents have the responsibility of helping students overcome negative
perceptions about mathematics from the early stages of their educational lives.
Description:
A thesis in the Department of Mathematics Education,
Faculty of Science Education, submitted to
the School of Graduate Studies, in partial fulfilment
of the requirement for the award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Mathematics Education)
in the University of Education, Winneba
