Students’ Atritude5 And Performance In Mathematics In Secondary Schools In Kasubi Parish In Kampala City

ABSTRACT

Students’ attitude towards Mathematics has been a factor that is known to influence

students’ performance in Mathematics. The purpose of this study is to find out the

students’ attitude and its impact on performance in mathematics in secondary schools

in Kasubi parish in Kampala city. A sample of 40 respondents was used including 30

students and 10 teachers. This sample was arrived at by using purposive sampling since

the study took the form of cross sectional research design. Students were administered

with a questionnaire to find out their attitudes towards mathematics while an interview

was used for teachers. The students answered questions regarding perceived future

usefulness of mathematics, math anxiety, gender difference and mathematics and

environment and attitudes. The interview required answers to questions on how to

improve on students’ attitude towards mathematics, teacher perceptions towards

mathematics, and the influence of female mathematics teacher on the performance of

students among others.

The study found out that both boys and girls have the same attitude towards

mathematics but the difference arises only due to stereotypes that mathematics is a

male domain dominated subject; it is also found that good achievement in mathematics

develops positive attitudes towards mathematics; students believe that mathematics is

useful in life however, there are some who study it because it is in the curriculum but

don’t see its usefulness. In general, the study established these students’ attitudes:

positively; mathematics is important because of its everyday use in life and other fields,

students associate math with ease and pleasure and negatively; mathematics is

difficult, math is a subject that makes students uncomfortable and restless and that

math is an unchangeable subject that is associated with innate ability to do it well

otherwise lack of that ability makes one a poor mathematician. The study also reveals

that positive teacher attitudes towards mathematics build up positive attitudes in

students,

The study has recommended the following in order to build positive attitudes in

students; parents, teachers and other stake holders should take up positive attitudes in

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the subject, school teachers should provide more opportunities for students to work on

non routine and challenging tasks, also teachers should provide intrinsic motivation to

students, teachers should create situations that promote pleasure and competence

which will promote positive attitudes towards mathematics; efforts should be made to

ensure that gender does not hinder learning and/or performance, teachers, parents and

siblings should encourage both male and female students to equally embrace

mathematics.

The study concludes that although students have both negative and positive attitudes

towards mathematics, most of them know that Mathematics is important and seem to

be willing to learn and perform well in it that’s they have more positive attitudes

towards mathematics. However, teachers must be aware that there are certain aspects

of students that need to be improved in particular students should be given more

opportunities to work on non routine and challenging mathematics problems so as to maximize their higher order thinking skills.