School factors and mathematical attainment in secondary schools

Abstract

This study investigates to what extent various factors such as cognitive and school aspects, parental and the pupils' own attitudes, influence mathematical achievement. During the investigation of these factors, the problem of "Girls and Mathematics" was frequently encountered. This dissertation has focused mainly on exposing the relationship between the above mentioned factors and Girls' attainment. In this study it was found that attitudes play an active role in influencing girls'' attainment. To be able to measure the extent to which such an important factor affects achievement, a questionnaire was administered to 293 girls from Secondary Government Schools (158 from Junior Lyceum and 135 from Area Secondary Schools) . When analysing the items of the questionnaire the most powerful of the attitude variables were found to be those of anxiety together with lack of self-confidence in doing mathematics. These variables affected the amount of mathematics that these pupils wish to study. This dissertation shows that if girls' achievement in mathematics is to be improved attitudes and alleviate anxieties towards mathematics, by associating the subject with things that are interesting to the learner.