Factors Affecting the Students' Achievement in Mathematics: A Case Study

Abstract

The main concern or area of this study was “Factors that affecting the students’ achievement in mathematics: A case study”. The objectives of the study were to analyze the school related factors and out of school factors that affect in learning mathematics of students and also to identify the strategies taken by the school administration in improving mathematics achievement at secondary level. The descriptive case study approach was adopted to conduct the study under the qualitative research design. This study was bounded only in Khotang district and also this study was based only on Shree Radha Krishna Secondary School, Shakela Gaupalika, Khotang. In-depth interview, classroom observation, document reviews were used as tools for data collection. This study was conducted with the sample of six mathematics students as case study and also head teacher, two mathematics teacher and student's parents as respondents. The researcher observed classroom for ten days and interviewed with related students, head teacher, mathematics teacher and parents. Collected information were analyzed and interpreted with the help of conceptual framework and linking with theoretical construction. This study found that, lack of peer group interaction in mathematics classroom, lack of suitable textbook, lack of classroom management, lack of teacher's competency, having a large number of students in mathematics classroom, lack of teaching method and materials in the classroom, lack of teacher's teaching technique are the main school related factors that affects in students' mathematics achievement. And also, lack of interest of learner, lack of students' home environment, lack of parents' educational status, lack of pre knowledge, lack of students' anxiety in mathematics contents are the out of school related factors that affects the students' mathematics achievement. Also, there was not enough references book and practice book, class size was big so that disturb in teaching, communication between teacher to parents and students was minimal, and also there was poor economical home environment of the students which was the factors that affects the students' achievement in mathematics.