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Psychosocial Factors as Determinants of Students’ Achievement in Senior Secondary School Mathematics

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PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS AS DETERMINANTS OF STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS

BY

Adekoya Emmanuel Olusegun

Abstract
This study investigated the influence of psychosocial factors on the achievement secondary school students in mathematics. The variables that were addressed include test anxiety, locus of control, self concept, motivation, study habit and peer influence.
The population for the study included all Senior Secondary School 2 (SSS 2) students in Ogun State. Two hundred (200) SS 2 students were randomly selected from four administrative zones in Ogun State. Seven instruments namely: Test Anxiety Questionnaire (TAQ), Self Concept Questionnaire (SCQ), Motivation for Achievement Questionnaire (MAQ), Peer …show more content…

The National Policy on Education (FGN 2004) emphasizes the teaching of mathematics to pave way for scientific and technological development of the nation. It is important then to say that mathematics is the key to science and technology; which has played a great role in the creation and development of the modern technological advancement around the globe. It is no doubt that mathematics is the root of all other science disciplines which cuts across all aspects of human life. Mathematics which encapsulates science of numbers and computation (Arithmetic), the language of symbols and relations (Algebra), the study of shapes, sizes and shape (geometry) the measure of distances and analysis of oscillations (trigonometry), the science of interpreting data and graphs (statistics) and the study of change, infinity and limits (calculus) is an indispensable component of school curriculum.
The study of mathematics in most private and some public secondary schools begins at the junior secondary school level and is handled mostly by graduates of Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) because this category of teachers are mostly employed at the junior secondary school level. In the past, consciously and unconsciously, mathematics, though in form of Arithmetic were done by the use of different parts of human body such as fingers and toes, objects like stones, drawing of lines and marks on surfaces of papers were also employed. At the primary

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