In summary, the review of the related
literature highlighted various peculiar views submitted on the causes of poor
academic achievements and performance of the students in mathematics. The effects
of this were highly emphasized especially as it hampers the development of the
nation. The comparative education
studies and adoption centre
(CESAC) submitted that the
importance of mathematics
acquisition of science and technology
for the national development must be tackled with the seriousness it deserves
in terms of providing qualified mathematics
teachers that can implement the mathematics education curricula. Teachers, parents and government frowned at the low level of achievement of students in secondary school mathematics, they unanimously agreed that the results so far do not commensurate with the huge investment made in the sector.
teachers that can implement the mathematics education curricula. Teachers, parents and government frowned at the low level of achievement of students in secondary school mathematics, they unanimously agreed that the results so far do not commensurate with the huge investment made in the sector.
Aremu and Sokan (2003) mentioned earlier, identified the factors
responsible for this abysmal performance
as motivational orientation, teacher are
poorly motivated, emotional problems, such as phobia has contributed immensely to the problem at hand, phobia is an impediment to the learning of anything at all, self esteem self, efficiency, study habits on the
part of students, the Researcher’s personal
observation shows that today’s students have taken to music and live in world of noise, reading
culture almost eroded. Teacher’s consultations are among the factors
highlighted by these scholars. Another
study, Bolaji (2005), in his study of influence of students attitude towards
mathematics, identified teachers method of teaching and his personality as
responsible for students negative or positive attitudes towards mathematics.
Teachers planning of lessons should take care of choice of appropriate teaching
materials and appropriate teaching methods, intensive research on the topic to
be taught. The national mathematical centre Abuja on their own part discovered
that rather than blaming the cause
of failure in mathematics on the contents of
curricula, teachers’ method of teaching should rather be blamed. The
centre recommended that there should
be new improved method of teaching mathematics,
students in the other hand cannot
be exonerated from being responsible for low
performances in mathematics, there poor reading culture accounts to a very great extent this abysmal failure, as the old
Chinese adage says, thing I hear, I forget, things I see , I remember, but things I do, I know, this adage
can be likened to mathematics
teaching and learning, it is not enough to sit in the
class, listening attentively, watch the teacher manipulate mathematics,
students should sit down and do mathematics, practice, they say, makes perfect.