In this chapter, the data collected from
field are analyzed. Each research question was tested with a number of items
drawn from the questionnaire with respect to three questions that guided the study weighed under the scale:
SA=4, A =3, D =2 SD= 1. The means
(x) was used in answering the four research questions posed in chapter one of
this research project
4.1 RESEARCH QUESTION
1
1.
What
are the causes of phobia in mathematics among the students of secondary school
in Abakaliki Local Government Area?
TABLE 1
Responses
on the cause of phobia in mathematics
|
|
|
SA
|
A
|
D
|
SD
|
N
|
X
|
X
|
|
1
|
Lack
of trained teachers in mathematics is
responsible for phobia in
mathematics
|
82
328
|
23
96
|
8
16
|
7
7
|
120
420
|
420
120
|
3.5
|
|
2
|
Nigerian
students generally lack reading and practice culture
|
66
264
|
35
105
|
09
18
|
10
10
|
120
397
|
397
120
|
3.3
|
|
3
|
Majority
of the students have impression that mathematics is hard
|
38
152
|
43
129
|
12
24
|
27
27
|
120
332
|
332
120
|
2.8
|
|
4
|
The
phobia in mathematics is as a result of
long time poor performance of
the subject in both WAEC & NECO exams which has given the impression that Mathematics is hard to
learn
|
57
228
|
39
117
|
07
14
|
17
17
|
120
376
|
376
120
|
3.1
|
|
5
|
The
job opportunities in mathematics are
limited to teaching only
|
28
112
|
25
75
|
37
74
|
30
30
|
120
288
|
288
120
|
2.4
|
|
6
|
The
proper and effective teaching methods are not employed in teaching
mathematics
|
74
296
|
39
117
|
15
10
|
02
02
|
120
|
420
120
|
3.5
|
|
7
|
There
are poor / inadequate instrumtional materials in teaching and learning of mathematics in Nigeria
|
33
142
|
53
159
|
20
40
|
14
14
|
120
348
|
348
120
|
2.9
|
|
8
|
The
poor personalities of mathematics
teachers influence students interest
negatively towards mathematics
|
49
196
|
35
105
|
20
40
|
15
15
|
120
|
348
120
|
2.9
|
RESEARCH QUESTIONS 2
2.
What
effects do you think phobia in mathematics has on the general performance of
the student both internal and external
examination.
|
9
|
|
33
142
|
53
159
|
20
40
|
14
14
|
120
348
|
348
120
|
2.9
|
|
10
|
|
49
196
|
35
105
|
20
40
|
15
15
|
120
|
348
120
|
2.9
|
RESEARCH
QUESTION 3
3.
What impact has phobia in mathematics on the
national development?
|
11
|
|
33
142
|
53
159
|
20
40
|
14
14
|
120
348
|
348
120
|
2.9
|
|
12
|
|
49
196
|
35
105
|
20
40
|
15
15
|
120
|
348
120
|
2.9
|
|
13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
result of the data in tale 1
above shows that the various causes
suggested as responsible for phobia in mathematics are true except item (5) that has a mean of (2.4)
which indicates that lack of
job opportunities in mathematics can not lead to phobia in mathematics in other words, there are
job opportunities in mathematics, the rest of the items in the table
has a means value that is greater
than 2.5 suggesting that actually, those items are
responsible for phobia in mathematics among the secondary school student.
From table 2 above, all the respondents accepted that the
effects of phobia in mathematics leads to poor academic performance in WAEC,
NECO and JAMB Examination and it equally lead to massive cheating in both internal and external
From table
3, above, all the respondents
accepted that phobia in mathematics has a great impact on the national
development, backwardness in science and
technology, shaky mathematical background for further studies
in mathematics thereby inhabits many
student from specializing in mathematics. Year by year, many students miss admission
into tertiary institution due to
deficiency of mathematics in their
results and the students choice of course of study all owe its origin from
phobia in mathematics.
4.3 FINDINGS OF
THE STUDY
Based on the results of the data
presented and analyzed from the study,
the following findings were made
Ø Phobia in mathematics are caused by lack of
trained mathematics teachers , the decline in the students reading cultures,
poor mentality of the students towards
mathematics, lack of proper/effective teaching methods, poor and inadequate instrumental materials and poor
personality of mathematics teacher among other.
Ø The effects
resulting from the phobia in mathematics are general low and poor performance of students in both internal
and external examinations and massive cheating in public
examination
Ø Backwardness
in science and technology, lack of manpower in
mathematics are among the impacts of
phobia in mathematic in the
national development in Nigerian
4.4 DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS
The
importance of education to the national development cannot be overemphasized
that is why government at all levels
invest heavily to ensure quantity education
for its citizens, it is therefore
imperative that all the factors that encumber full accomplishment of this objectives should be thought with aggression deserve. In other hand mathematics
education in particular occupies of central stage in sciences and technologies making a break through in
sickness or technologies is making breakthrough in
mathematics, little wonder why, when the
Russian launched the sputnik,
the first earth satellite in
space in November 1957, Americans were bothered, contemplate
on the superiority in engineering
over other nations, suitability of their mathematics curricula, this brought about reformation of mathematics curricula contents. It is in view of the above that this research
work sought how to tackle the problem of mathematics education
from table 1, the
mean value of 3.5 shows
that lack of trained mathematics teachers is one
of the major causes of phobia in mathematics. Nigeria today, recruitment
of teachers is no belong based on qualifications and area of needs, rather, it
is based on who knows, unemployment has also forced many untrained personnel’s
into ruction sector, crops members from
national youth service corps equally formed themselves into the business
of implementing educational curricula.
Most these personnel’s in our secondary schools end up confusing the
students the more. The means of 3.3
indicates that Nigerian students
do not read any more, this is readily
evident on the fact that our students live in the world of distractions on noisy which do not
permit purposeful reading. The
man of 3.1 accounts for negative impressive of long time poor performance in
WAEC & NECO examinations. While the mean 3.5 shows that in appropriate and
effective method of teaching lead to poor
lesson delivery which in turn
leads to phobia in mathematics. The
means of 2.9 indicates that poor
personalities of mathematics teachers and poor /inadequate fractional materials
also lead to phobia in mathematics
In
table 2, which sought the effects of phobia in mathematics shows that the mean
value of 3.2 and
3.3 indicate that phobia in
mathematics lead to poor performance in
WAEC, NECO and JAMB examinations and massive cheating in public
examination respectively
In table 3, we have a mean value of 3.3 which indicates that the impact of phobia
in mathematics causes backwardness in science and technology in Nigeria while the mean value of 3.2
shows that many students are
decried admission into tertiary
institutions due to deficiency of
mathematic in their results. The means of
2.9 shows that phobia
in mathematics prevents many Nigerian students from acquiring necessary mathematical background for
further study and the mean
value of 3.4 indicates that the choice of course of study in the tertiary institutions
are greatly influence