Factors affecting grade 12 learners' performance in mathematics at Nzhelele East circuit : Vhembe District in Limpopo

Abstract

The quality of education in South Africa has come increasingly under scrutiny for various reasons and learners ‘performance in mathematics is one of the main areas of concern. Learners in secondary schools in Nzhelele East Circuit in Limpopo Province, South Africa, are not performing well in mathematics. Learners who want to pursue careers such as civil engineering, medicine and other qualifications where mathematics is a prerequisite find it difficult to follow these careers. The study used focus group discussions with 20 Grade 12 learners, face-to-face semi-structured interviews with six teachers and four SMT to investigate factors affecting grade 12 learners performance in mathematics in two secondary schools. The study highlighted socio-cultural and psychological factors that are seen to be barriers in mathematics performance. The purpose of this study was to explore factors that affect Grade 12 learners’ performance in mathematics. As there are many factors, this study's main emphasis was on the influence of the home environment, teachers’ competence and attitudes in teaching mathematics, learners’ attitudes towards mathematics and strategies that can be used to improve learners’ performance in mathematics. The afore-said were named themes each of which related to questions contained in the semi-structured interview schedule. The study included literature review from Kenya, Ghana and South Africa. Qualitative research method was used. Interviews were conducted with SMT, teachers and learners. The researcher set out to answer the following question What are the dominant and most profound socio-cultural and psychological factors of the Grade 12 mathematics learners affecting performance in the Nzhelele East Circuit, Vhembe District of Limpopo Province? The following points will also be taken into consideration during this research. How do learner performance trends in mathematics education look like among Grade 12 mathematics learners in the Nzhelele East Circuit, Vhembe District of Limpopo Province, and South Africa? What are the teacher-based factors established to have been contributory to the state of learner performance in mathematics in the selected participant schools? What are the School Management Team (SMTs) factors established to have been contributory to the state of learner performance in mathematics in the selected participant schools? THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Aim This study investigates the dominant and most profound socio-cultural and psychological factors affecting learner performance in mathematics among Grade 12 learners in the Nzhelele East Circuit, Vhembe District of Limpopo Province, and South Africa. Objectives The objective of this study was to explore the socio-cultural and psychological factors in the home and school environment that affect Grade 12 learners performance in mathematics at Nzhelele East Circuit, Vhembe District of Limpopo Province. Based on the above question the following were findings of the research. • Mathematics is believed to be a critical school subject in most regions of the world in general, and Sub-Saharan Africa in particular. • A plethora of governments – especially those in developing economies where governments are targeting industrialization and technological development believe mathematics is crucial for facilitating development and advancement of the general populace of their regions. • Mathematics is a compulsory subject in most education systems around the world. • There are a variety of complexities and constraints affecting the teaching and learning of mathematics in most regions of the world. • There is poor learner performance in mathematics. This is indicated by high failure rate in mathematics during end-of-year learner assessments. • The reasons for the poor performance of learners in mathematics in the selected schools were vast and intertwined. • Efforts have been made at international level to intervene with regard finding solutions to complexities and constraints affecting teaching-learning environment in mathematics. • The complexities and constraints affecting the teaching-learning environment of mathematics in South Africa stem from South Africa's past era of apartheid education. • Mathematics has been a major target of improvement and transformation by the post-apartheid government in South Africa. • Regardless of the efforts made by the post-apartheid government in South Africa to improve and transform teaching-learning environment in mathematics, there are perpetual complexities and constraints still hindering progress, and this affects learner output in mathematics. • Mathematics is one of the poorly performing subjects in the post-apartheid education system in South African schools – especially those schools which are based in formerly disadvantaged areas such as homelands and townships. • There is a growing body of literature investigating the complexities and constraints affecting the teaching-learning of mathematics in South Africa. Apart from the conclusions based on general observations, the study furthermore concluded that critical learner-based factors, teacher-based factors and SMT-base factors contributed to the state of affairs in the selected participant schools. This study therefore concluded thus: • Learner-based factors Mathematics learners were poorly prepared in the lower grades for senior grades. In other words, learners lacked proper foundation and background in mathematics. Learners were not well taught the basics of mathematics in previous grades. Furthermore, mathematics learners lacked assistance with homework for example because the majority of parents were illiterate and therefore not involved in supervision of learners beyond school environment. Learners showed negative attitude towards their teachers and the subject. Learners were not self-motivated in mathematics. • Teacher-based factors Teachers did not have enough workshops on how to teach mathematics, and also on content knowledge improvement. Less creative teachers were teaching mathematics. Teachers lacked support from their principals. The majority of teachers lacked passion in mathematics. • School Management Teams (SMTs) factors This study concludes that mathematics teachers were not receiving adequate support from the School management Teams (SMTs). Lack of teacher support by SMTs stems from poor organisation of supervisory roles expected from SMTs. Teachers' work is not being properly monitored and supervised. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the conclusions drawn from the study, the following recommendations are crucial, and they have to be implemented: • Recommendations to the Department of Education This study recommends that the Department of Education should monitor or revisit the methods of teaching and learning of mathematics. Assessment should also be revisited to ensure that the mathematics paper is not too long for the learners during examinations. Enlisted service providers who facilitate teacher workshops for mathematics must be conversant with content requirements of mathematics. Considerations should be made to simplify the mathematics question paper. The Department of Education should also provide necessary resources such as textbooks timeously. Knowledgeable mathematics specialists and advisers could be enlisted to visit regular visits to schools to assist teachers and learners throughout the year. • Recommendations to the School Management Teams (SMTs) The SMT should ensure that their educators are adequately qualified to teach mathematics. as a subject as well as being able to teach their learners in a way that they understand the subject. In addition, teachers who are knowledgeable in teaching mathematics should be appointed to teach mathematics. The SMTs should also ensure that compulsory workshops are provided for mathematics teachers at school level. Furthermore, the SMTs should ensure that educators are able to identify learners that are under-performing, monitor the utilisation of study time and assist in resolving problems regarding the poor performance of such individual learners. School Management Teams shall facilitate additional after-hours lessons and sessions to assist learners identified as lacking in home environment assistance for example. Moreover, SMTs should also encourage all Grade 12 mathematics learners to participate in supervised extra mathematics lessons and extra-mural activities in order to develop and build their self-confidence and positive self-esteem. In addition, the SMT members should be more supportive to their mathematics teachers. Continuous moderation of teachers' work should be encouraged. School Management Teams (SMTs) should also develop motivational programmes and instruments to encourage and motivate learners in their respective schools. For example, performing learners could be awarded with prizes in public – especially during school organised functions which might include learners, teachers and parents. • Recommendations to the teachers The teachers should make it a point that they attended mathematics workshops as organised by various stakeholders. Teachers' interest in mathematics could be improved by improving their knowledge of subject content in mathematics, and personal recognition by authorities. Performing teachers could also be recognised and awarded with prizes publicly at school gatherings and meetings. Teachers should also be encouraged to obtain further qualifications and skills in mathematics. • Recommendations to the learners Efforts should be made to improve learners’ attitudes towards mathematics, and in addition to their mathematics teachers. Learners should be made aware of national target for mathematics education and the implications thereof. This could be achieved by utilizing educators – especially those who teach Guidance as a subject to learners to provide more convincing evidence of the spin-offs of obtaining good passes in mathematics in South Africa. SUGGESTION FOR AREAS NEEDING FURTHER STUDY There is a need to conduct follow-up research on: • applied strategies and instrument to improve learner attitude towards mathematics. • Establishing whether the complexities and constraints affecting learner performance in mathematics affect both girl and boy learners the same considering that their circumstances and conditions might materially differ.