Abstract

INFLUENCE OF SELF-CONCEPT ON STUDENTS? ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHEMATICS

1Obi Christiana N., 2Uzor Franklin C. 3Uzoigwe Joseph S. and4Agbo Lourita Princess

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Abstract The study investigated the influence of self-concept on students? achievement in Mathematics as well as the influence of gender on self-concept and performance in Mathematics. The sample for the study consisted of three hundred and sixty (360) JSS 1 students randomly drawn from a total population of 2,132 JSS 1 students in thirty-six (36) public secondary schools in Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State using simple random sampling. Three (3) research questions and hypotheses each was developed to guide the study. Data were collected using a 20-item Self-Concept Questionnaire (SCQ) and a 20-item multiple-choice Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) with reliability coefficients of 0.74 and 0.83 respectively, and analysed using Pearson product moment correlation and t-test statistics, tested at 0.05 level of significance. The results showed that: Self-concept moderately correlated with performance in Mathematics, while gender had no significant influence on self-concept and performance in Mathematics. However, the mean scores of male and female students in Mathematics were below average. It was therefore recommended among others that: qualified teachers should be employed to teach mathematics at the Junior Secondary School level to ensure the use of appropriate teaching methods that will boost students? positive self-concept towards Mathematics so as to pay more attention to problem solving skills for better achievement in the subject, teachers should provide the male and female students the enabling environment to learn and solve mathematical problems cooperatively in order to maintain equity in mathematics achievement. Keywords: Self-concept, Performance, Secondary school students, Mathematics test

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