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- Introduction: Mathematics achievement is the level of knowledge, proficiency or skill attained by undergraduates in mathematics, often explained by grade point average or cumulative grade point average. Many factors could either improve or deter this achievement. In this study, we assess the factors that predict the academic achievement of mathematics undergraduates through structural equation model (SEM). Methods: A survey was conducted with a sample of 411 randomly selected undergraduates from the Department of Mathematics in public universities in Southwestern Nigeria who were studying mathematical science or mathematics education. An adapted questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale hosted online through Google Forms was used for the survey. The data gathered was analyzed through SEM with the aid of SmartPLS 4. Results: The factors examined, mathematics self-efficacy, attitude, motivation and study habits, collectively accounted for 59.4% of the observed variance in the academic achievement of mathematics undergraduates. Similarly, self-efficacy and study habits accounted for 47.7% of the observed variance in academic motivation, while study habits, motivation and self-efficacy accounted for 67.8% of the observed variance in academic attitudes. Discussion: Among the predictors, study habit has the most predictive influence on academic achievement, followed by mathematics self-efficacy and academic motivation, while academic attitude has the least influence on academic achievement. Hence, academics and institutions should develop and implement various instructional interventions, such as mentoring, monitoring programs and feedback supports, to help students improve their study habits and build their mathematics self-efficacy.
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- 2022| Adonis & Abbey Publi...The Department of Basic Education in South Africa is worried about massive learners‘ poor academic performance in public secondary schools. In various secondary schools in Vhembe District, the quality of learners‘ academic performance has retrogressed and deteriorated, despite several intervention strategies to improve the performance. The study aims to determine how teachers' approaches can influence intervention strategies to enhance learners‘ performance in Grade 12 by providing support, care, guidance and professional development programmes within the schools and through the government initiative programmes. This study focused on the teachers‘ approaches to improving intervention strategies to enhance the academic performance of Grade 12 learners in Vhembe District, Limpopo, South Africa. A sample of 16 teachers and 15 heads of the department was purposively selected in this interpretive qualitative study. The participants were engaged in two semi structured focus group interviews. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the interview data. Findings revealed that extra lessons, peer teaching, collaborative teaching and learning, outsourcing of expert subject teachers, quality quarterly assessment and monitoring of informal and formal tasks were implemented as teachers‘ approaches to enhance quality of learners' performance. While the participants decried that several schools in the Vhembe District are dysfunctional and need interventions to improve output. The study recommends further support for teacher professional development to enhance teaching and learning for better quality results.
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- The literature is mixed in regard to the schooling outcomes of children raised in female headed households in rural areas. Some studies have found that children from female headed households may experience better schooling outcomes, but high levels of poverty and inequality often prevent female heads from acting on their preferences to invest more heavily in their children thus resulting in below average schooling achievement of their children. Mbonambi is a rural area located within the heart of Northern Zululand which comprises a high proportion of female relative to male headed households primarily due to men opting for labour migration to urban areas and only rarely returning home. The main focus of this study was to investigate the relationship between female- headed households and their children’s schooling outcomes compared to that of their male counterparts. The researcher used a questionnaire to conduct interviews to obtain primary data from both female and male headed households in the Mbonambi locality employing the systematic random sampling method. The researcher gathered a sample of 455 children living in 301 households, of which 193 and 108 comprised female and male headed households, respectively. The questionnaire was designed such that information was gathered on possible factors that impacted on a child’s performance which was observed by viewing the child’s most recent school report. The possible factors were obtained from the literature and included parental involvement, parental gender, parental education, parental age, household total income, family size, health status of the child. The cross tabulation Chi-squared approach as well as the more rigorous logistic regression model was employed to analyse the survey data. The logistic regression modelled the dichotomous dependent variable: schooling outcomes (pass =1 or fail=0) as the dependent variable and a set of independent variables as explanatory variables. The findings of the regression results which in most cases were corroborated by the cross tabulation statistics demonstrated that there are no differences in the schooling performance of children coming from both male and female headed households. This analysis supports the hypothesis that women have been empowered to manage their households as well as men do. Additionally the results showed that income, the education attainment of parents, a larger family size and Parental involvement in their children’s education are important factors in increasing the probability of a child performing well at school. Moreover a significant proportion of the female heads were women over fifty years of age and their children tended to perform poorly at school relative to the younger parents. The study concluded that government interventions to raise the income level of the Mbonambi community especially women in the form of access to credit and educational grants and other opportunities in the agricultural sector will have positive spinoffs in regard to the educational attainment of their children. Moreover, that strong social network can empower older women and smaller households to provide positive emotional support for their children to perform well at school
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- The study sought to understand how students’ subject specialisations, academic achievements and gender influence the belief about nature of science (NOS) they hold at the end of their four year Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree programme in South Africa. The study was underpinned by an epistemological development theory. It was a quantitative study which involved one hundred and seventeen fourth-year students registered for a four-year Bachelor of Education degree, of whom 72 were females and 45 were males. The study revealed the following: (i) Most fourth year pre-service students were neither naïve nor sophisticated in their conception of NOS beliefs when they exited the programme. Students NOS beliefs also differed with respect to whether they were female or males. Overall, female students were slightly more sophisticated in their NOS beliefs than their male counterparts. (ii) The study also revealed that specialising in Physical Science, Life Sciences, and Technology had no effect on NOS beliefs held by both male and female students. (iii) However, male students specialising in Mathematics were found to hold more sophisticated NOS beliefs and these beliefs were significantly superior to their female counterparts. (iv) Students who academically performed at a distinction level had significantly superior NOS beliefs than those whose academic performance was just at a pass level. (v) Female students specialising in Physical Science had superior beliefs about how scientific knowledge is generated.
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- The present study examines the role of parents in the continuous assessment of learners. The first aim was to ascertain the extent to which parents play an active role in the continuous assessment of their children. The second aim was to ascertain the extent to which parents understand the significance of continuous assessment. The third aim was to determine whether parents' biographical factors such as gender, age, type of parent, academic qualification as well as learner's grade have any influence on parents' active role which they play in the continuous assessment of their children. The last aim was to determine whether parents' biographical factors such as gender, age, type of parent, academic qualification as well as learner's grade have any influence on parents' understanding of the significance of continuous assessment. To this end, a questionnaire was administered to a randomly selected sample of one hundred and eighty-four parents. The findings reveal that parents differ in the extent to which they play an active role in the continuous assessment of their children. A very high percentage (72,3%) of parents report an above average level of active role. The findings show that parents differ in the extent to which they understand the significance of continuous assessment. A very high percentage (65.2%) 11 of parents report an above average level of understanding of the significance of continuous assessment. The findings also indicate that parents' personal variables such as age, type of parent, academic qualification as well as learner's grade have no influence on parents' active role which they play in the continuous assessment of their children. The last findings show that, with the exception of learner's grade, gender, age, type of parent and academic qualification have no influence on parents' understanding of the significance of continuous assessment. A very high percentage (72.2%) of parents with learners in grade 8 report above average level of understanding of the significance of continuous assessment as compared to (57.5%) of parents with learners in grade 7. On the basis of the findings of this study, recommendations to the Department of Education and Culture, as well as for directing future research were made.
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- Outline: The researcher has noted that factors in the home environment of the children living in the squatter settlements were likely to influence their academic achievement. The performance of the majority of both primary and secondary school pupils from the squatter settlements does not rise to expectations. Instead, there is a high rate of dropouts, illiteracy and child abuse. It became clear to the researcher that the causes as well as the effects of squatting on the educational life of the children living in the squatter settlements should be researched. The findings of the study can serve as a valuable basis on which measures at policy making, educational guidance and assistance, teaching and supervision can be carried out. Methods of investigation: The two major methods of research used in this study were the literature review and an ethnographic investigation. Literature was reviewed on the researched problem. There were five distinct samples to which the ethnographic research method was administered. To reveal the home background factors that influence scholastic achievement of the pupils living in the squatter camps, the researcher spent time with members of an observed population i.e. 60 pupils from both primary and secondary schools. Interviews were administered to 8 principals, 18 teachers, 3 inspectors, 8 health workers and 2 social workers. The researcher considered the ethnographic research method to· be particularly appropriate for empirical research. It enabled the researcher to observe activities from their natural surroundings. Questions which were asked to the five distinct samples were based on what the investigator had observed in the squatter camps. The responses could be checked from the context in which the question and answers took place. Percentages were mainly used to principals, inspectors, responses. Principal finding of the study: The following factors were found to have an influence on the academic achievement of the pupils living in the squatter settlements. 3.1 General conditions. -All the settlements shared a lack of laid-on facilities. In particular, overcrowding and water supplies were general problems. Toilet pans or pit latrines were the only form of sanitation. Paraffin lamps and candles were used for lighting, and wood was also used for fuel. Refuse was mostly dumped; some people dug or burnt it. 3.2 Living in poor housing itself influences self-evaluation and motivation. Social isolation and inadequate space make children change their feelings about "the whole life" - a change particularly noticeable in school (Schorr, A.L. 1964 : 5). Students who fail to live up to their own academic expectations suffer losses of self-esteem. Failure lowers a child's self-concept and may as a result undermine himself, thus assume the attitude that he is a useless individual. 3.2.1 Parental educational level is related to the child's school progress. Parents who have later sought to improve on what they had, are likely to have a favourable attitude to the child's education. Pupils from such families are more likely to· experience success at school than children whose parents are uneducated. 3.2.2 School progress may be affected by facilities at home. Study and homework require concentration and attention. A proper place of study at home together with appropriate furniture such as a study desk with sufficient light, results in better performance in schoolwork. 3.2.3 The tendency to appoint unqualified and underqualified teachers lowers academic standards. The pupils' cognitive abilities will be deficient as they are bound to receive a lower quality of education. 3.2.4 Regular school attendance is positively related to success at school in general. Late corning and habitual absenteeism lowers performance at school and promotes, a high failure and drop-out rate. The abovementioned environmental factors were proved valid in the analysis and interpretation of data. Finally, a number of suggestions are given with the hope that if implemented, the community of Winterveldt, Alexandra and Mshenguville, as indeed of the squatter settlements in South Africa as a whole, will benefit thereby: 1. The impoverished home environments of the children typified by overcrowding, low income and low education of parents as major factors to be taken into consideration. 2.It is the responsibility of education to formulate policies and strategies aimed at improving the situation of children in black schools. Children from depressed areas such as Winterveldt, Mshenguville and Alexandra need a variety in educational experiences so that they experience the delight and wonder of learning. 3. may No child can receive a democratic education in a non-democratic school. single A academic expectations, a skillful and understanding to the raising standard of demanding syllabus and, teaching are essential self-esteem of the disadvantaged children. 4. It is recommended that education furnish new modes of teaching that incorporates parents and the community in the curriculum and that guide parents towards self-betterment and improved family life. Devise school-based services for children that can compensate for the declining support at home.
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