Factors that hamper the acquisition of mathematics knowledge by females in Ghanaian tertiary institutions

Abstract

This dissertation explores the plausible factors of young women’s inability to pursue Mathematics beyond high school. The study uses Bandura’s Social Learning Theory as the main theoretical focus. The study posits that there is a significant gender gap in Mathematics participation; the gap favours males. The gap matter-of-factly widens as females progress academically. The factors identified as contributing to upward immobility in Mathematics education among female students include games that children are introduced to, the teaching strategies of teachers and teachers’ Mathematics phobia. Incentives in the form of scholarships for females who pursue Mathematics education is identified as a factor which motivates females and contributes greatly to their continuous participation and performance in Mathematics education. Descriptive survey design together with the quantitative research method is foundational to this study. The population for the study comprised all university students in Ghana. Simple random sampling was used to select two hundred and forty-one (241) undergraduate, one hundred and nineteen (119) first degree holders, ten (10) graduate students, twenty-eight (28) master’s degree holders and two (2) PhD students from eight universities. The data was collected from both primary (questionnaire) and secondary enrolment data from the University of Cape Coast (UCC). This study seeks to add to the general body of knowledge and research work around Mathematics development with particular reference to female participation. It seeks to address Mathematics phobia among female students.

Tlhotlhomisi eno e sekaseka dintlha tse di dumelesegang tsa go tlhoka bokgoni ga makgarejana go tswelela ka Dipalo (Mathematics) morago ga dithuto tsa sekolo se segolo. Thutopatlisiso e dirisa Tiori ya go Ithuta ga Loago ya Bandura (Bandura's Social Learning Theory) jaaka ntlhakgolo e e totilweng ya tiori. Thutopatlisiso e tlhagisa gore go na le sekgala se se bonalang sa bong mo go nneng le seabe mo Dipalong; sekgala se se sekametseng mo banneng. Tota sekgala se tswelela go gola fa basadi ba gola mo go tsa dithuto. Dintlha tse di supilweng jaaka tse di tshwaelang mo go se tlhatlhogeng mo thutong ya Dipalo mo baithuting ba basadi di akaretsa metshameko e e itseseweng bana, ditogamaano tsa go ruta tsa barutabana le poifo ya Dipalo ya barutabana. Dithotloetso tse di mo sebopegong sa dibasari tsa basadi ba ba tsweletsang dithuto tsa Dipalo di supiwa jaaka ntlha e e rotloetsang basadi mme e tshwaela thata mo seabeng le tiragatso ya bona e e tswelelang mo thutong ya Dipalo. Motheo wa thutopatlisiso eno ke thadiso ya patlisiso e e tlhalosang gammogo le mokgwapatlisiso o o lebelelang dipalopalo. Setlhophasegolo sa thutopatlisiso se ne se na le baithuti botlhe ba yunibesithi kwa Ghana. Go dirisitswe tsela e e bonolo ya go tlhopha sampole kwa ntle ga thulaganyo go tlhopha baithuti ba le 241 ba dithuto tsa pele ga kalogo, ba le 119 ba ba nang le dikerii ya ntlha, baithuti ba ba alogileng ba le 10, baithuti ba le 28 ba ba nang le dikerii ya master le baithuti ba le babedi ba PhD go tswa kwa diyunibesithing tse robedi. Data e kokoantswe go tswa mo dateng ya ikwadiso ya ntlha (lekwalopotsolotso) le ya bobedi go tswa kwa Yunibesithi ya Cape Coast (UCC). Thutopatlisiso eno e batla go oketsa mo kokoanyong ya kakaretso ya kitso le tiro ya patlisiso malebana le tlhabololo ya Dipalo go lebeletswe seabe sa basadi. E batla go samagana le poifo ya Dipalo mo baithuting ba basadi. Go solofetswe gore thutopatlisiso eno e ka kgontsha batsadi, barutabana, le setšhaba go tlhaloganya dingwe tsa dintlha tse di kgoreletsang go amogelwa ga basadi mo thutong ya Dipalo kwa Ghana. Thutopatlisiso e atlenegisa ditirego le dithotloetso tsa go bebofatsa le go tokafatsa seabe sa basadi. Gape e atlenegisa letlhomeso la tlhabololo ya seporofešenale ya barutabana ke ditheo tse dingwe kwa ntle ga bathapi ba bona.

Lo mqulu ubheka izici ezinengqondo zokungakwazi kwabesifazane abasebasha ukulandela isifundo seZibalo emva kokuphothula isikole samabanga aphezulu. Ucwaningo lusebenzisa Umbono kaBandura ophakamisa ukuthi isimilo somphakathi sifundwa ngokubuka nokulingisa ukuziphatha kwabanye njengombono oyinhloko okugxilwe kuwo. Ucwaningo luveza ukuthi kukhona igebe elikhulu lobulili ekubandakanyeni esifundweni seZibalo; igebe livuna abesilisa. Igebe ngokweqiniso liyakhula njengoba abesifazane bethuthuka ezifundweni. Izici ezikhonjwe njengezinegalelo ekunyukeni phezulu ekufundisweni kwesifundo seZibalo phakathi kwabafundi besifazane zibandakanya imidlalo izingane ezethulwa kuyo, amasu okufundisa othisha kanye nokwesaba kothisha isifundo seZibalo. Izikhuthazo ngendlela yemifundaze yabesifazane abalandela imfundo yesifundo seZibalo zikhonjwa njengesici esishukumisa abesifazane futhi esinikela kakhulu ekubambeni kwabo iqhaza eliqhubekayo nokusebenza emfundweni yesifundo seZibalo. Ucwaningo oluchazayo lokwakheka kanye nendlela yocwaningo yokuqoqa nokuhlaziya iminingwane yezinombolo luyisisekelo salesi sifundo. Inani labantu esifundweni lalinabafundi bonke basemfundweni ephakeme yaseGhana. Isampula elula engahleliwe yasetshenziselwa ukukhetha abafundi ababenza iziqu zokuqala abangamakhulu amabili namashumi amane nanye (241), abaphothule iziqu zokuqala abayikhulu neshumi nesishiyagalolunye (119), abafundi abaphothule iziqu abayishumi (10), abaphothule iziqu zeMaster’s abangamashumi amabili nesishiyagalombili (28) kanye nababili (2) abafundi abenza iziqu ze-PhD abavela ezimfundweni eziphakeme eziyisishiyagalombili. Imininingwane iqoqwe emininingwaneni yomibili eyinhloko (imibuzo) neyesibili yokubhaliswa evela eMfundweni Ephakeme yaseCape Coast (UCC). Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukwengeza emkhakheni wolwazi jikelele nomsebenzi wokucwaninga ngokuphendukela ekuthuthukiseni isifundo seZibalo ikakhulukazi ngokubhekisisa ekubambeni iqhaza kwabesifazane. Ifuna ukubhekana nokwesatshwa kwesifundo seZibalo phakathi kwabafundi besifazane. Kulindeleke ukuthi lolu cwaningo luzokwenza abazali, othisha, kanye nesizwe ukuqonda ezinye zezici eziphazamisa ukwamukelwa ngothando kwabesifazane emfundweni yesifundo seZibalo eGhana. Ucwaningo luphakamisa izinqubo nezikhuthazo zokwenza lula nokuthuthukisa ukubamba iqhaza kwabesifazane. Luphinde luphakamise uhlaka lokuthuthukiswa kobungcweti phakathi kothisha yizinhlaka ezingaphandle kwabaqashi babo.