Effect of high school mathematics educators’ self-efficacy on learners’ performance in mathematics grade 12

Abstract

Previous studies indicate that national leaders, policy makers and educators share the desire to understand and identify factors that have a significant and reliable relationship with mathematics performance. To enhance learners’ cognitive and affective outcomes in mathematics, educational psychologists and mathematics educators have continued to search for variables which could improve academic performance in mathematics. Of all the variables that have attracted researchers’ interest in this area of educational achievement, mathematics self-efficacy appears to be gaining more popularity. This study thus aims to examine the effect of high school mathematics educators’ self-efficacy on learners’ performance in mathematics. The objective of the study was to assess the association of high school mathematics educators’ self-efficacy levels and learners’ performance in mathematics and to suggest ways to use high school mathematics educators’ self-efficacy to enhance learners’ performance in mathematics. The social cognitive and self-determination theories served as the theoretical framework which underpinned the study. A quantitative research approach was used in this study. Two hundred and twenty-five (225) high school mathematics educators were sampled randomly and formed the respondents of the study. The sample was drawn from 165 schools in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Statistical analyses were undertaken to analyse data that were collected through questionnaires. Salient findings showed that self-efficacy had a positive impact on the educator’s professional development and the learner’s performance in mathematics. Based on this the study recommends the inclusion of self-efficacy in educator professional development at national and district levels.