Teachers’ Experience and Motivation as Predictors of Students’ Achievement and Interest in Mathematics in Delta North Senatorial District, Nigeria
- June 5, 2022
- Posted by: rsispostadmin
- Categories: Education, IJRIAS
International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume IX, Issue V, May 2022 | ISSN 2321–2705
OKOYE, N.S1 and TANIMOWO, R. I2
1Department of Science Education, Delta State University, Abraka. Nigeria
2Department of Science Education, Anchor University, Lagos. Nigeria
Abstract: This study examined teachers’ experience and motivation as predictors of students’ academic achievement and interest in mathematics in Delta North Senatorial District. Two research questions and two corresponding hypotheses that guided the study were answered and tested, respectively. The study employed the correlational research design. Three research instruments which are the Teachers’ Demographics and Motivational Level Questionnaire, Students’ Interest Questionnaire and Students’ Mathematics Achievement Score were used to collect the data analyzed for this study. The data obtained from the study were analyzed using, Canonical Correlation, Multiple Regression. The result obtained from the study revealed that Experience was found to be a significant predictor of students’ academic achievement in mathematics, but did not significantly predict student interest in mathematics. Motivation was also, a significant predictor of academic achievement, but not a predictor of student interest. The combination of the teacher variables highly predicted student academic achievement in mathematics and explained a very large variance in the dependent variable with Motivation being a higher unique contributor in the variance explained than teachers’ experience. The combination of the teachers’ variables did not significantly predict students’ Interest in mathematics. It was recommended that mathematics teachers that are experienced should be made to teach mathematics at the Senior Secondary level in schools and as much as possible, these teachers should be motivated (monetary and non-monetary) by their employers.
Keywords; Experience, Motivation, Academic Achievement, Interest, Students, Teachers
I. INTRODUCTION
The importance of mathematics in the lives of students cannot be overemphasized. Right from the cradle, children are taught mathematics, and as they grow, the mathematics they learn advances from simple counting of numbers to addition and subtraction, and thereafter to division and multiplication, fraction and word problems for those in primary schools. As the children progress in their study, the mathematics they learn advances accordingly, until they get to the secondary school level. At this level, some students begin to lose interest in the subject. Generally, the achievement of students in mathematics at this level also seems to be poor. Hence, mathematics is seen to present many challenges to students at the secondary school level of study.
