The Influence of Teachers’ Use Resources on Students’ Attitudes towards Mathematics among Secondary School Students
- June 20, 2020
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: Education, IJRISS
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue VI, June 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186
Mbuthia Ngunjiri
Laikipia University, Kenya
Abstract: – This study examined the influence of teachers’ use of resources on students’ attitudes towards mathematics in Laikipia Country, Kenya. Descriptive research design was utilized in the study. The target population consisted of 8357 Form Four students from 113 secondary schools in the County. Simple randon sampling was employed to select the sample schools, sample classes, and respondents. A sample of 412 respondents consisting of 392 students and 20 mathematics teachers was selected from the sample classes using Krejcie and Morgan’s table of sample sizes. A self –administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Cronbach’s alpha was used to determine the reliability of research instruments. Data was analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and simple regression analysis at .05 level of significance. The study revealed that teachers’ use of resources makes a significant contribution in the development of students’ attitudes towards mathematics. The study concludes that for development of positive attitudes, teachers should make available a variety of relevant resources in teaching and learning.
Keywords: Attitude towards mathematics; Teachers’ use of resources.
I. INTRODUCTION
Mathematics is a fundamental part of human thought and logic, and integral to attempts at understanding the world and ourselves. Furthermore, mathematics provides an effective way of building mental discipline and encourages logical reasoning and mental rigor. In addition, mathematical knowledge plays a crucial role in understanding the contents of other school subjects such as science, social studies, and even music and art (Cockroft, 1982).
In Kenya, great emphasis has been placed on industrial and technological development, and mathematics is seen as a vehicle of development, and improvement of a country’s economic development (Kenya Institute of curriculum Development (KICD), 2020). Moreover, KICD posits that by learning mathematics, learners develop understanding of numbers, logical thinking and problem solving skills. Therefore, it has been made compulsory in primary and secondary levels of schooling in Kenya.
