UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND ICT EDUCATION
COURSE TITLE: PROJECT WORK
COURSE CODE: EMA499
LECTURER: Dr. Mohammed Nurudeen
DATE: 11TH NOVEMBER 2022.
INDEX NUMBERS OF GROUP MEMBERS
ET/MAT/20/0056 ET/MAT/21/0012
ET/MAT/20/0029 ET/MAT/20/0003
RESEARCH PROPOSAL TOPIC:
ASSESSING THE PROBLEM OF LOW STUDENTS’ PARTICIPATION IN
THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY CLASSROOM
INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION
ABOUT MATHEMATICS, TEACHING METHODS USED BY TEACHERS AND
STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHEMATICS
BACKGOUND OF THE STUDY
Everyday we do something that involves mathematics, either consciously or subconsciously. The
role of mathematics in developing a society is just like how air is important to human beings.
Because without it, other sciences (engineering, medicine, information technology, etc ) seize to
be useful.
Douglas (1995) emphasized that the progress of any nation depends upon her scientific education
capable of making the citizens efficiently functional in the natural and applied sciences. The
famous mathematician Galileo Galilei famously said “Mathematics is the language in which God
has written the universe," highlighting his view that the natural world can be understood through
mathematical principles.
Students achievement in mathematics might have been influenced by several factors but this
study seeks to investigate students’ perception about the discipline and how it is related to their
achievement.
The perception of the students may influence how they react to mathematics learning. If their
perception is positive, it will be evident in their behavior as they will be very eager to learn more
mathematical concepts and persist in making improvement. (Otiti, Adolphus & Aziaka 2023).
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Many students continue to struggle with mathematics, often developing negative attitudes that
hinder their academic progress and interest in STEM fields. They have perceived mathematics
to be something abstract and difficult and it is normally not very useful. Though students are
aware of the usefulness of mathematics in our daily lives, most of them are not aware of the role
of mathematics in Science, Engineering, Technology, Business and even in the most recent
technology, artificial intelligence.
Despite some few research (Salifu, A. S., & Bakari, A. 2022; Fekumo, B. & Omeka, F. O. 2022;)
highlighting the importance of students' perceptions of mathematics, there remains a significant
gap in understanding how these perceptions are related to teaching method used by the teacher
and the students’ achievement in mathematics. Also, none of these works were done in both
junior high school and senior high school and in cape coast municipality.
It is in light of this that has prompted the researcher to conduct a study that seeks to investigate
the relationship between students’ perception, teaching method and their mathematics
achievement.
THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The main focus of this study is to investigate the relationship between students’ perception,
teaching method and their mathematics achievement in Cape Coast Municipality.
Specifically, the study seeks to uncover:
1.students’ perception about mathematics
2. the pedagogies used by teachers
3.the relationship between students’ perception and their achievement in mathematics
4. the relationship between teachers’ pedagogy and the students’ achievement in mathematics
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The results of this study will provide a valuable insight about students’ perception about
mathematics. These insights will inform policy makers and teachers on how best they work to
improve upon students’ perception of mathematics thereby improving students’ achievement in
mathematics. Policymakers can use the findings to inform educational policies and initiatives
that aim to improve mathematics education in Ghana and producing mathematically oriented
students who will pursue the fields of STEM.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Literature relevant to the issue under investigation will be comprehensively reviewed by the
researcher. Thus, it will include both theoretical and empirical issues.
This will provide a linkage between existing knowledge and the problem of study while
informing the researcher about what has been done and what needs to be done regarding our
particular problem. For the sake of clarity and simplicity, the related literature will be reviewed
under the following categories:
1.Influence of Students' Perception on Mathematics on Junior Secondary School Students'
Academic Performance in Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria.
2.Exploring the Relationship Between Students’ Perception, Interest and Mathematics
Achievement
3.Students' Perceptions of Learning Mathematics: The Impact on Achievement in The Ga East
Municipality
4.Students’ Perception towards Mathematics and Its Effects on Academic Performance
RESEARCH DESIGN
This study will employ a mixed-methods approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative
techniques to investigate the relationship between students' perception, teaching methods, and
students' achievements in mathematics.
Quantitative Phase:
1. Sampling: A convenience sampling method will be used to select one senior high school and a
junior high school. Then a random sampling will be used to select some classes and again to
select students from those classes
2. Instruments: Surveys will be administered to collect data on students' perceptions of teaching
methods and their achievements in mathematics.
3. Data Analysis: Statistical techniques such as correlation analysis and regression analysis and
ANOVA will be utilized to explore the relationship between variables.
4. Teaching Method Survey: A survey for teachers to report the primary teaching methods they
use in their mathematics classes.
5.Achievement Data: Mathematics achievement will be measured using students' test scores from
recent standardized tests or school assessments.
Qualitative Phase:
1. Sampling: Purposeful sampling will be used to select a subset of participants for in-depth
interviews and focus group discussions.
2. Instruments: Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions will be conducted to gain
insights into students' experiences and perceptions.
3. Data Analysis: Thematic analysis will be employed to identify recurring themes and patterns
in the qualitative data.
Integration:
Triangulation will be used to compare findings from the quantitative and qualitative phases,
providing a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between students' perception,
teaching methods, and students' achievements in mathematics.
REFERENCES:
1. Fekumo, B. & Omeka, F. O. (2022). Influence of Students’ Perception of Mathematics on
Junior Secondary School Students’ Academic Performance in Yala Local Government
Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. VillageMath Educational Review (VER), 3(1), 53-71.
2. Salifu, A. S., & Bakari, A. (2022). Exploring the Relationship Between Students’
Perception, Interest and Mathematics Achievement. Mediterranean Journal of Social &
Behavioral Research, 6(1), 13-20. https://doi.org/10.30935/mjosbr/11491
3. Ahmad, N. A., Azizan, F. L., Rahim, N. F., Jaya, N. H., Shaipullah, N. M., & Siaw, E. S.
(2017). Relationship between students’ perception toward the teaching and learning
methods of mathematics’ lecturer and their achievement in pre-university studies.
International Education Studies, 10(11), 129. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v10n11p129
4. Edo, H., Vivian, M., Hashimu, M., Golbert, A., & Amoah, E. (2023). Students'
perceptions of learning mathematics: The impact on achievement in the Ga East
Municipality. International Journal of Novel Research in Education and Learning, 10(5),
17-28. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8328401
