International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, Vol 3, no 4, pp 665-666, April 2022
International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews
Journal homepage: www.ijrpr.com ISSN 2582-7421
ATTITUDE AND CONCERN OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
TOWARDS MATHEMATICS
Muktikanta Behera
Faculty, Department of Education, MPC Autonomous College, Baripada Odisha
ABSTRACT
The aim of the present study is to find out the perception of seconary school students towards mathematic. To serve this objective a sample of 120
students were selected by purposively across the school of baripada town of Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. To collect the dare from selective sample, a
self developed attitude scale towards mathematics (ASM) was used. The findings revealed that there is a significant difference between boys and girls
secondary school students on their attitude towards mathematics. Further, the urban students were more positive attitude towards mathematics as
compare to rural students.
Keywords: Attitude, secondary school students, mathematics
1. INTRODUCTION
Mathematics occupies a very important place in school curriculum. A continuous advancement in educational research based on mathematics and
technology has led to the greater application of mathematics in contemporary societies. Mathematics achievement is interrelated with other factors like
families and students (Singh, Granville and Dika, 2002). Mathematics education can no longer be considered a matter of filling a student with subject
matter but its practical ability is more important for students. mathematical achievment is influnced by home environment and society. The
mathematics education of a student in school should be concerned with history, the process and the application of mathematics to our present day
problem.
Today teaching learning process is mostly focused on the pre-digested facts, rules, theories, and principles for which attitude, percetion and concern of
the students is paramount important. Curiosity and drive for continued learning are dependent on attitudes and emotions. The prime objective in
individualistic perspective is the cultivation of scientific temper which include a spirit of inquiry, a disposition to reason logically and dispassionately, a
habit of judging beliefs. It is also expected of mathematics education that it would give individual a firm grasp on concepts and processes of
mathematics and impart to them the ability to use the scientific method of problem solving. It is needed to enquire about the present mathematics
education in school that causes the students to lose their enthusiasm for mathematics. A study caried out by Maria de Lourdes (2012) revealed that, in
general, students held positive attitudes towards mathematics and also highlighted the main effects of grade and math achievement on these attitudes.
No gender effect was identified although the girls showed a continuous decline in attitudes the further they progressed in school.
The present study tried to find out the attitude of high school studnets towards mathematics.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1. To study the attitude of high school students towards mathematics.
2. To study the attitudinal difference between boys and girls students towards mathematics.
3. To study the attitudinal difference between rural and urban high school students towards mathematics.
HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY
1. There exists a positive attitude of high school students towards mathematics.
2. There exists no significant difference boys and girls with regard to attitude towards mathematics.
3. There exists no significant difference between rural and urban high school students‟ attitudes towards mathematics.
2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
As per the nature of the study, descriptive study. The high school students studying in various schools of Mayurbhanj district of Odisha
constituted the population of the present study. The investigators purposively selected 120 (70 boys and 50 girls) students from eight (four each)
government and private high schools belonging to urban and rural areas. The sampling was done in two stages i.e. in the first stage selections of schools
International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, Vol 3, no 4, pp 665-666, April 2022 666
and in the second the selection of subjects for the study. In the present study, the investigators used self-developed “Attitude towards Mathematics
Scale (ASM). The scale is highly reliable and valid.
3. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Table-1
SIGNIFICANCE OF DIFFERENCE IN MEAN ATTITUDE SCORES BETWEEN BOYS AND GIRLS HIGH TOWARDS MATHEMATICS
Groups N M S.D. t-ratio Level of significance
Boys 70 134.39 10.05
2.03 .05
Girls 50 130.08 11.01
Table-1 denoted that the mean scores of attitude towards mathematics of boys and girls high school students are 134.39 and 130.08 with SDs 10.05 and
11.01. The t-ratio came out from above two grous is 2.03 which is significant at .05 level of significance. That means there is a signficant difference
exist between boys and girls attitude towards mathematics. Thus, the hypothesis-1 that „there is exist a significant difference between boys and girls
students on attitude towards mathematics subect‟ is retained.
Table-2
SIGNIFICANCE OF DIFFERENCE IN MEAN ATTITUDE SCORES BETWEEN URBAN AND RURAL HIGH TOWARDS
MATHEMATICS
Groups N M S.D. t-ratio Level of significance
Urban 60 125.14 11.05
3.26 .01
Girls 60 128.03 10.01
Table-2 denoted that the mean scores of attitude towards mathematics of urban and rural school students are 125.14 and 128.03 with SDs 11.05 and
10.01. The t-ratio came out from above two grous is 3.26 which is significant at .01 level of significance. That means there is a signficant difference
exist between urban and rural areas high school studnets attitude towards mathematics. Thus, the hypothesis-2 that „there is exist a significant
difference between urban and rural areas students on attitude towards mathematics subect‟ is retained.
4. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The findings and conclusion of the study indicates that the maximum high school students have positive attitude towards mathematics. Therefore
the researchers suggested that parents and teachers should take some step to make more conducive environment for learning mathematics, so that,
students should give more value to mathematics in the daily life. Further, findings of the study indicate that high school boys' students have more
attitudes towards mathematics than the girl's students. Adequate opportunities should be given to the high school girls students so that they can also
develop a better attitude to the study. So far as findings based on difference between urban and rural high school students on attitude towards
mathematics indicates that there is a significant difference between the above two groups. Again, the study found that, urban high school students have
more positive attitude towards mathematics than their rural counter parts. That means, high school students belonging to rural areas do not have
adequate facilities to study mathematics. So, special attention should be made to develop attitude towards mathematics among the rural students for
promoting mathematics education in target areas.
REFERENCES
[1] Köğce, D., Yıldız, C., Aydın, M. and Altındağ, R. (2009). Examining elementary school students‟ attitudes towards mathematics in terms of
some variables,” Procedia, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 291–295,.
[2] Singh, K., Granville, M. and Dika, S. (2002). Mathematics and science achievement: effects of motivation, interest, and academic
engagement,” Journal of Educational Research, vol. 95, no. 6, pp. 323–332..
[3] Mohamed, L. and Waheed,H. (2011). Secondary students‟ attitude towards mathematics in a selected school of Maldives,” International
Journal of Humanities and Social Science, vol. 1, no. 15, pp. 277–281.
[4] Maria de Lourdes Mata, Vera Monteiro, Francisco Peixoto, "Attitudes towards Mathematics: Effects of Individual, Motivational, and
Social Support Factors", Child Development Research, vol. 2012, Article, ID 876028, 10 pages, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/876028
