Impact Of Students Attitude On Mathematics Perfomance Among Public Secondary Schools Students In Masaba North Sub County, Nyamira County

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate impact of attitude on mathematics performance in public secondary schools in Masaba North Sub County in Nyamira County. The study was guided by the following objectives: to establish attitude that students formed towards mathematics, relationship between attitude and performance in mathematics, factors which lead to formation of various attitudes and possible interventions to control the attitude formed in public secondary schools in Masaba north Sub County in Nyamira County. The study used descriptive survey design. The targeted population involved 20 public secondary schools. The sample size was 240 respondents comprising of 200 students and 40 teachers. 230 responded of which 40 were teachers and 190 students. Stratified sampling method was used in selecting the respondents. Questionnaires for teachers and students were given out for purpose of data collection. Reliability analysis was done by test retest method and a reliability coefficient of 0.7 deemed the instrument to be reliable. Primary data that was collected was analyzed using qualitative and quantitative techniques and presented in tables. Secondary data was obtained from schools data base. The findings showed that most students prejudged that mathematics is a difficult and tedious subject. They showed fear and anxiety during mathematics lessons and examinations. The study also found out that the schools had inadequate mathematics learning resources and most teachers used poor methods such as lecture method to teach mathematics. This made students to develop negative attitude towards the subject. The study recommends that all education stakeholders to work together to change student mentality about mathematics as a subject and also there is need to invest in purchase of teaching and learning resources if mathematics need to be performed well in Masaba North Sub County in Nyamira County.