Adebule (2004) submitted that there is a
consensus of opinion about the fallen standard of education in Nigeria. He further stated that parents and government
are in total agreement that their huge investment on education is not yielding the
desired dividend. Ashiaka (2010) revealed
that teachers equally complain
of students low performance at
both internal and external
examinations, Aremu and Sokan (2003) submitted that the search for
the causes of poor academic
performance and achievement in mathematics is unending. Some of the factors
identified by
them are; motivational orientation, self –esteem /self efficiency, emotional
problems of which phobia is inclusive, study habits, teacher consultation and
poor interpersonal relationship among students. The national mathematical centre Abuja (NMC)
2009
in attempt to revamp mathematics
teaching and learning at the secondary school level, has also successfully researched
into the causes and remedies for abysmal failure in WAEC and NECO and JAMB mathematics examinations.
It has discovered that the poor
performance in promotion/public examination in mathematics has more to do with
the teachers’ method of teaching then the contents of the curricula of the
school mathematics (NMC) 2009. It was this empirical background that necessitated and spurred the center’s mathematics
improvement programme (MIP) project to create
a new teaching methodology to enhance students’ performance in mathematics. Bolaji (2005)
equally submitted a study on the
influence of students attitude towards
mathematics, he found that the
teachers’ method of teaching and his personality greatly accounts for
the students positive attitude toward
mathematics. The importance of School location to a successful academic achievement
cannot be overemphasized. Where the school is located determine to a very large
extent the patronage such school will enjoy.
Similarly, the entire unattractive
physical structure of the school building could de –motivate learners to
achieve academically. This is what Isangedighi (1998) refers to as learners’ environment
mismatch according him, this promotes
poor academic performance. The
means or strategies employed by teachers in an attempt
to impact knowledge to the learners are referred to as methodology which is another factor that could
influence the students’ academic
achievement, sometimes, when a teacher teaches and at the end of the
lesson, evaluation is carried out, and
it is discovered that students are
unable to carryout the behavioral or instructional objectives , what the
teacher needs to do is to examine his teaching
methods rather than looking at
students as the cause. Most untrained teachers
point accusing fingers on the students rather than on themselves when the
students are unable to carryout the expected behavior at the end of the lesson or
in examinations. Therefore teachers’ planning should include; choice of appropriate
teaching materials, choice of appropriate teaching method, intensive research on the topic to be taught, and
determination of the objectives for the lesson generally.