Teaching, Learning Resources and Students’ Performance in Mathematics: A Case Study of Selected Secondary Schools in Pallisa District

ABSTRACT This study set out to investigate the impact of learning resources on the academic performance of students in mathematics in secondary school, Pallisa East district Uganda The study followed an experimental research design, using both the pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental and control groups. Random sampling was used to assign 27 students to the experimental group and 27 to the control class, making a total sample size of 54 students. But purposive sampling was also used to select ten teachers, especially those who teach mathematics. Three instruments were employed in data collection one was a test result mark list for both the control and experimental group and pre-tested post test scores. The second was a researcher made questionnaire and an interview, for mainly the teachers. The student’s samples to test were the major technique used to test he null hypotheses of the study frequency tables and cross-tabulations were also used in the analysis. The study found out that students learn more when they are doing, which implied using learning resources (80% of teachers views). Also 70% of teachers showed that students learn more when they are seeing and listening. Other factors that teachers are students’ attitude (90%), environment (90%) teacher factors (90%) home factors (90%), learner’s motivation and readiness (80%). The findings also showed that learning resources have a positive input on students’ performance in mathematics, but it’s not statistically significant (t = -0.812 and p 274 for the pre-test and post-test scores, and t -0.802 and p = 0.284) for the experimental and control classes, post test results). The researcher concluded that teachers and students prefer to teach and learn touching and seeing learning resources, however learning resources a loan cannot boost performance, unless they are supplemented by other factors like positive students attitude, good viii environment, good experienced teachers, motivation, students readiness, willingness and home background. The researcher recommended that the relevance, suitability and applicability of learning resources should be tested before they are applied, and that learning resources should provided together with improvement in other factors like teacher experience / training, students’ attitude environment, motivation and parents contributions where resources are adequately provided without considering those factors, they (learning resources) may not significantly boost students performance as expected.