STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHEMATICS IN THE LIBERIA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION (LSHSCE) AND HOW IT IS INFLUENCED BY TEACHER CHARACTERISTICS

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to describe twelfth grade students’ perception of the mathematics teachers’ teaching style, to describe the mathematics teachers’ perception of in-service education and training (INSET) programmes, and to investigate twelfth grade students’ achievement in Liberia Senior High School Certificate Examination (LSHSCE) mathematics and how it is influenced by teacher characteristics. The study took place in fourteen purposively selected senior high schools in Nimba County, Liberia. The study involved 280 twelfth grade students and ten teachers teaching mathematics. Twenty students were randomly selected from each school. The study used questionnaires and data sheet to collect data. The data were analysed by means of frequency distribution, simple percentages, One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), the Duncan multiple-range test of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Excel gave graph for the past twelfth grade students’ LSHSCE mathematics scores. The results showed that the students viewed the mathematics teachers’ teaching style as a combination of teacher-centred and student-centred teaching styles, the relevant authorities of Nimba County School System kept low profile on the provision of INSET programmes for the mathematics teachers, the number of trained and qualified high school mathematics teachers was inadequate, and the mathematics teachers’ characteristics positively influenced the students’ achievement in LSHSCE mathematics. Based on the findings, a number of recommendations (e.g. provision of scholarships for high school graduates to train and qualify as mathematics teachers) for improving on teaching and learning of mathematics were made.