Causes of Low Achievement in Mathematics of Harijan Students

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore the causes that brings low achievement in mathematics of Harijan students.The study is qualitative in nature.The researcher selected the sample size of Harijan students(Two girls and three boys) from Shree Piparahawa secondary school, Rupandehi, for the study.The children were selected on base of purpose sampling. The researcher did in-depth interview and observation of all five children spending more them eight days to observe the students’ behavior, activities and their actual difficulties in mathematics classroom.The students were interviewed to identify the learning difficulties, influencing factor and impact of home environment on mathematics.And interviews of their parents, mathematics teacher, people of Harijan community and head teacher were done to investigate about their study, difficulties in learning mathematics, and the cause of low achievement in mathematics.The researcher used Ogbu’s Cultural Discontinuity Theory and Constructivism theory to analyze the collected data. From this study the researcher found that, there is cultural discontinuity at school and home.There is discontinuity in learning environment at school and home, lack of interpersonal relation between teacher and Harijan students, low economic status, house workload, and high dominated group, misuse of mobile phone, irregularity in school are the vital factor affecting the achievement in mathematics of Harijan students.In other hand, there is big difference between practical knowledge at home and theoretical knowledge at school for Harijan students and also traditional and modern measurement system i.e. measure tools which they have used in school are not applicable in their homes and they cannot construct mathematical knowledge from their home environment.Thus, home environment do not support Harijan students in the mathematics learning.