Thursday 25 July 2013

EVALUATION OF DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED BY TEACHERS IN TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS



Abstract

The study was designed to evaluate the difficulties encountered by teachers in teaching of mathematics in secondary schools in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State. To direct the study two research questions were raised. The study adopted the survey research design. The data gathered for the study were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to test the questions raised. The results of the analysis showed that teachers encountered the item in numeration as difficult for teaching and organizing workshop to train teachers on modern technology,
encouragement of further studied, on the job-training and re-training programme, motivation and reward for hard work and sponsoring conferences for teachers on how to teach mathematics are all strategies to improve the teaching of mathematics. Based on these findings some recommendations were made.

Introduction

Background of the Study

        Mathematics is a vital subject as well as a key to finding the solution to human problems and it is as old as nature. According to the Collins English Dictionary (2003), mathematics is a group of related sciences including algebra, geometry and calculus concerned with the study of number, quantity, shape and space and their interrelationship by using a specialized notation. Therefore, it is necessary for a person to have the knowledge of the subject as to live as a useful and effective student of the study. For instance, a builder requires some knowledge of mathematics for the measurement of furniture and the angles at which wood would be joined to get the right type of building and furniture. Also, a trader needs the knowledge of the four basic arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) to assist him in accounting for the number of goods he has sold, his profit or loss made (Okurumeh, 2003).
        Inspite of the importance of mathematics, the teaching of this subject has been poor in secondary school where a solid foundation is supposed to be laid (Enukoha, Ahamefuna & Umoinyang, 2009). According to Owolabi (2007), students’ performance in mathematics examination yet requires more from them. He further maintained that students’ performance over the years, when rated cannot be evaluated up to 20% of the whole population having credit in external examinations which is so poor. Therefore, there had been many problems encountered by teachers in teaching of mathematics (Harbor-Peters, 2001).
        This situation calls for unlimited efforts to improving the performance of pupils in mathematics. For instance, there had been a lot of workshops on how to effectively deliver mathematics instruction. Thus, the Mathematical Association of Nigeria (MAN) organized workshops for mathematics teachers in primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education on how to teach the subject, as well as, its presentation before the students in order to enhance pupils’ performance.
 

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