Analysis Of Areas and Reasons of Students’ Difficulties in Learning Geometry by Gender and School Type in Senior Secondary School Mathematics Curriculum

ABSTRACT

This study employed the descriptive survey design aimed at analysing the areas and reasons of students’ difficulties in learning geometry by gender and school type in senior secondary school mathematics curriculum Yenagoa metropolis, Bayelsa state. The study was guided by six (6) research questions and four ( 4 ) research hypotheses. The sample size of the study is consisted of 200 Senior Secondary school students. 100 students’ from public and private schools in Yenagoa Metropolis, Bayelsa State. The instruments used for the collection of data were two questionnaires tagged “Areas of Students Difficulties in Geometry Questionnaire” (ASDGQ) and “Reasons of Students Difficulties in Geometry Questionnaire” (RSDGQ). The instruments were validated by face and content validation by two experts in measurements and evaluation; the reliability was established using the test-retest method. The data obtained were analyzed using mean and standard deviation with the criterion mean set at 2.50. T-test was used to analyze the null hypothesis. Findings revealed that Senior Secondary School Students have perceived difficulties in learning Geometry. It was also revealed that poor teaching method, non-usage of instructional materials, teacher’s inability to relate geometry to real life, etc were the reasons of difficulties associated with learning geometry. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended amongst others that workshops should be organized to train mathematics teachers on the effective and efficient strategies that should be adopted for the teaching of the identified difficult areas in geometry and Mathematics teachers should abstain from concept skipping and endeavour to complete the scheme of work by relating the teaching of mathematics to students’ daily activities via sufficient problem solving as Japan mathematics classes are known for.