study habits in mathematics thesis

The Impact Of Study Habits On Academic Performance in Mathematics. The Case of Senior Secondary School Students

Bachelor Thesis , 2019 , 88 Pages , Grade: 4.02

Autor:in: Toheeb Olatunji (Author)

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The study examined study habits and academic performance of senior secondary school students in Mathematics. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between study habits and academic performance of senior secondary school students in Mathematics. To carry out this study, four research questions and one null hypothesis were raised to guide the study. The population of 1128 Senior Secondary School Two (SS2) students with a sample size of 200 respondents was selected from 5 public secondary schools for the study using simple random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data for the study, which consists of two sections (A and B), section A consist of 20 items while section B, consist of 30 achievement tests on mathematics. The reliability coefficient of 0.72 was obtained using Split Half Method. Data collected was analyzed using simple frequency counts, percentages and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient (PPMC) and the hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance using One-Way Analysis of Variance(ANOVA). However, the results revealed that there is significant relationship between study habits and academic performance of senior secondary school students in mathematics. Based on the result of the findings, it was recommended that group guidance should be organized in schools by professional counsellors in order to create awareness on how students can develop effective study habits which could lead to good academic performance in mathematics and a functional school library should be mounted in all the secondary schools.

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Relationship of Study Habits with Mathematics Achievement

The study examined the relationship of study habits of students and their achievement in mathematics. The method used for the study was correlation design .A sample of 500 students were randomly selected from 25 public secondary schools in Delta Central Senatorial District, Delta State, Nigeria. Questionnaires were drawn to gather data on students' study habits. Students' results in mathematics were also collected from their various schools to gather data on their achievement in mathematics. Two research questions were formulated to guide the study. Regression and ANOVA were used to analyse the data. The following are the major findings: There was significant relationship between students' study habits and mathematics achievement. There was a significant difference in mathematics achievement between good study habits and poor study habits. Introduction The study habits of students vary from one student to the other and from one place to another. It is an important aspect of learning because students' achievement in schools depends greatly on their study habits. The low understanding level in mathematics has become great concern for our country, parents, educationists and government. The researchers and educationists have made frantic efforts to find out the causes of low achievement in the subject. In spite of all these efforts the problems still persist. The study habits of students play a vital role in reflecting the standard of education and the students' achievement in mathematics. The students cannot be expected to learn everything needed about the subject from their teachers in the classroom alone, it is the combination of both the classroom learning and out of classroom learning that make up students study habits. Sorenson (1991), while listing the good basic study habits stated that one must study with the primary aim of understanding. This requires one not to be in a hurry of getting through, rather sustained concentration is necessary. Crow and Crow (1992) stated that effective study habits include plan/place, a definite time table and taking brief of well organised notes. Many studies have been carried out by researchers like Adeyemo (2005) and Gbore (2006) on effective study habits. They argue that study habits have strong relationship with the academic performance of students. A student who cultivates certain study habit will perform differently from a student who has another set of study habit. It is believed that student who lacks effective and efficient means of studying would be building on shaking foundation and consequently have weak foundation. The teachers teach all the students collectively but all the students do not have the same grades, here we see underachievers and high achievers in mathematics. With these the teachers get puzzled with the sight of such situations and then try or push too much (Riaz, Asma, and Niaz, 2002). There may be a number of reasons like different levels of intelligence, lack of good infrastructural facilities, and lack of good libraries and so on. But one of the reasons is that students fail to make good a effort to learn what their teachers taught them in the school and also do not study at home because they fail to recognise the importance of study habits to their academic achievement. According to Riaz et al (2002), the study habits of the students could play pivotal role in the learning process reflected in the academic achievement of the students in mathematics. Abid (2006) stated that the quality of a nation depends upon the quality of its citizen while quality of citizen depends on the quality of its education which in turn depends on the study habits of the students. Quality of education is reflected through academic achievements which is a function of students' study habits. The purpose of this study is to find out if there is a relationship between students' study habits and their achievement in mathematics and also to find out if students with good study habits are better than those with poor study habits in mathematics .To achieve this the following research questions were raised to guide the study.

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Study habits are at the core of a learner's academic success. It is an action like reading, taking notes, conducting study groups that students perform frequently, and regularly accomplishing the learning goals. It can be defined as effective or counterproductive based on whether it serves the students well. Thus, the study's primary purpose was to determine the relationship between study habits and the students' academic performance. The descriptive-correlation design was utilized to describe the respondents' profile regarding their study habits and academic performance. A total of one hundred twenty-six (126) Grade 11 senior high school learners participated in this study. Moreover, the main research instrument utilized in the study was the Palsane and Sharma Study Habit Inventory. Its eight sub-scales are budgeting time, physical condition, reading ability, note-taking, learning motivation, memory, taking examinations, and health. The findings showed that the respondents' study habits are at a relatively average level. The result revealed no significant relationship between study habits and academic performance. Also, the results showed that the study habits of the students are at a relatively average level. Additionally, enhancing students' study habits are relevant, especially in note-taking, reading ability, and health, thus improving their academic performance.

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The present study was probed to find the significant relationship between study habits and academic achievement of higher secondary school students with reference to the background variables. Survey method was employed. Data for the study were collected from 300 students in 13 higher secondary schools using Study Habits Inventory by V.G.Anantha (2004) and the Quarterly Achievement Test Questions. The significant difference between the means of each pair of group was computed using Standard Deviation, ‘t’ test, ANOVA and Pearson’s Co-efficient Correlation. The findings were established and tabulated from the analysed data. The finding shows that there was no significant difference between study habits and academic achievement of higher secondary school students. Finally, Interpretations were given by the investigator based on the findings.

International Journal of All Research Education and Scientific Methods (IJARESM)

praveen binjha

The aims of this study the examine the relationship between student's study habits with academic achievement. A correlational study was conducted among undergraduate students. The sample consisting sixty-four undergraduate students, age range between 17-21years randomly from Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, and North Orissa University. Study habits inventory Palsane and Sharma (2003) and academic achievement score were used in the study. ANOVA and Perasons' Correlation coefficient used to find the association between study habits with academic achievement. The findings of the study 50% of students found an average/moderate study habits while 37.5% were good and 12.5% were considered poor in study habits. There is a positive relationship between study habits and academic achievement. The mean of students' grade point was 67.12±9.9 out of 19 male and the mean of female 70.1 ± 9.4, overall students grade point was 69.21(9.63). The score of study habit includes time budgeting (6.9 out of 10), physical condition (4.9 out of 12), reading ability (3.2 out of 16), note taking (4.9 out of 6), learning motivation (5.8 out of 12), memorization (6.25 out of 8), taking the examination (3.8 out of 20) and health (3.56 out of 6) and the total score (39.34 out of 90). The results show a significant relationship between academic achievement and study habits. In conclusion, the study habits of students indicated significant relationship with students' academic achievement.

kikang reyes

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Impact Factor(JCC): 1.7843-This article can be downloaded from www.impactjournals.us ABSTRACT The development of a Country relies mostly on the levels of education among the people. Without education human race would have remained but as another animal race. Education is a process towards development. The term study habit can be as the students' way of study whether systematic, efficient or inefficient. Academic achievement refers to what and how an individual has learnt qualitatively and quantitatively after a period of instruction given. A habit is something that is done on a scheduled, regular, planned basis and that is not relegated to a second place or optional place in one's life. It is simply done, no reservations, no excuses, and no expectations. Study habits keep the learner perfect in getting knowledge and developing attitude towards things necessary for achievement in different field of human endeavour. Students who develop good study habits at school increase the potential to complete their assignments successfully and to learn the material they are studying. They also reduce the possibility of not knowing what is expected and of having to spend time studying at home. Study habits are the ways that your study habits that you have formed during your school years. Study habits can be good ones, or bad ones. Good study habits include being organized, keeping good notes, reading your textbooks, listening in class, and working every day. Bad study habits include skipping class, not doing your work, etc.

Ifeoma Obidile

The paper examined study habits as necessary tools for examination success among secondary school students. It listed the major generally accepted patterns of study students can make use of in order to succeed in their studies and examinations with ease. The following recommendations for helping students acquire good study habits are made. These include: policy makers on educational curriculum should ensure that seminar or a course on good study habits should be included in the secondary school curriculum so that students will be helped to inculcate a good study habits to enhancing their examination performances, qualified guidance counsellors should be employed by government and proprietors of secondary schools to be helping students come out of the difficulties they are experiencing in their studies, school authorities should be releasing examination time table on time for proper revision of class work and classrooms and places of study should be devoid of noise, will be well ventilated and lighted, studying environment must be kept clean to avoid unnecessary distractions and infections, Guidance Counsellors and teachers should try to be friendly with the students so that the students will not have any barrier in approaching any of them for clarifications and help and then conclusion.

Publisher ijmra.us UGC Approved

In India, we have very different and diverse students in our classrooms. Are all of them able to grasp, read and practice in same way, same time and also same technique? No it is not possible. To solve this problem, we have to pay attention on individual differences. According to their IQ, interest, mental set, grasping level, age, location as well as study habits. In this study researcher focused on , the students study habits and studied that relationship with academic achievement. Sample was 164 students of Hindi medium secondary schools of Agra district of India. Descriptive research design was used for this study. For data analysis t test was used. Study found positive relationship between Academic achievement & Study habits and significant relationship in academic achievement of secondary school students having good and poor study habits. Apart from this study also found; no significant difference between academic achievement and study habits of secondary school students in terms of gender. There should be facility in the schools for students as well as for teachers, how to improve study habits.

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• DOI: 10.29333/IEJME/5768
• Corpus ID: 187875199

Attitudes, Study Habits, and Academic Performance of Junior High School Students in Mathematics

• Jonathan Olores Etcuban , Reylan Capuno , +3 authors Ramil P. Manguilimotan
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Attitudes and self- efficacy of students toward mathematics, factors affecting mathematics performance of junior high school students, comparative analysis of mathematics proficiency and attitudes toward mathematics of senior high school student, self-efficacy and attitude as predictors of mathematics performance of senior high school students, the effect of demographic variables on secondary level students' attitude towards mathematics in nepal, factors associated with mathematics performance, study habits and its impact on academic performance in english of higher secondary school students, investigating the mathematical problem-solving attitudes of gifted students at different educational levels, do primary school students like mathematics, investigating students’ perceptions of self-directed learning in mathematics at the basic school level, 39 references, differential students’ study habit and performance in mathematics, student attitude towards mathematics and performance: does the teacher attitude matter, a study of african- american college students' attitudes towards mathematics, study habits and academic performance of secondary school students in mathematic: a case study of selected secondary schools in uyo local education council., attitude toward mathematics among the students at nazarbayev university foundation year programme, attitudes towards mathematics: effects of individual, motivational, and social support factors, achievement in mathematics: effect of gender and positive/negative attitude of students, analysis of students’ attitudes on mathematics achievement-factor structure approach, relationship of study habits with mathematics achievement., influences on mathematics learning and attitudes among african american high school students, related papers.

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Promoting students’ interest and achievement in mathematics through “King and Queen of Mathematics” initiative

Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning

ISSN : 2397-7604

Article publication date: 29 August 2022

Issue publication date: 30 March 2023

The study explored the impact of the King and Queen of Mathematics Initiative (KQMI) in promoting students’ interest in learning mathematics and improving their achievement. The specific objectives of the study focused on the impact of the initiative in promoting interest in mathematics, assessing the contribution of the initiative to students’ achievements and investigating challenges encountered by the initiative.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a case study design with a mixed-method approach. One ward secondary school was involved. The sample size was N  = 79, where 77 were grade three students in a science class and two teachers. Data collection involved documentary review, observation and interviews. Data analysis employed both content analysis and a dependent t -test to determine the effect size of the initiative.

The findings revealed that KQMI had a significant impact on improving performance in mathematics among students ( t (71) = −7.917, p  < 0.05). The study also showed that male students improved their performance more than their counterparts throughout the KQMI. The mathematics teacher revealed that students still need assistance to solve mathematical questions with different techniques to develop the expected competencies.

Research limitations/implications

The initiative was conducted only in one school, limiting the findings’ generalization. Also, the innovation faced different challenges, such as accessing adequate resources and students with little knowledge of mathematics, which the initiative aimed to address.

Practical implications

Pedagogical innovations enhance the promotion of students’ interest in learning mathematics and hence improve their performance. Also, through pedagogical innovations, teachers improve their teaching skills and practices from students’ feedback.

Originality/value

The KQMI is a new pedagogical innovation modified from the existing innovations such as game-based method, task design, mobile learning and mathematics island.

• Mathematics
• Students’ achievement
• Students’ interest
• Pedagogical innovation

Kihwele, J.E. and Mkomwa, J. (2023), "Promoting students’ interest and achievement in mathematics through “King and Queen of Mathematics” initiative", Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning , Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 115-133. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIT-12-2021-0083

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Jimmy Ezekiel Kihwele and Jamila Mkomwa

Published in Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning . Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode .

Introduction

Mathematics is an abstract subject; hence, it causes many students to lose interest, thus resulting in low achievement ( Yeh et al. , 2019 ). Apart from an abstraction of mathematics causing low interest in students, experiencing anxiety about learning mathematics also has contributed to disliking the subject ( Summer, 2020 ). This paper explores the contribution of pedagogical innovation in promoting students’ interest in learning mathematics hence improving achievement.

Lack of interest in learning mathematics results in low achievement. Interest is one of the attitudinal and influential variables that are predictors of students’ achievement in learning or avoidance of learning mathematics ( Singh et al. , 2002 ). Studies have shown the trend of poor performance in mathematics in many parts of the world ( Mazana et al. , 2020 ; Mbugua et al. , 2012 ; Ndume et al. , 2020 ; Sa'ad et al. , 2014 ). The trend of poor performance is associated with students’ low interest in studying mathematics. Students feel the subject is boring. Factors such as teachers’ lack of innovative pedagogies, the subject’s broad content and students’ inadequate practices amplify students’ low interest in learning ( Shoaib and Saeed, 2016 ). Pedagogical innovations in facilitating learning play a central role in addressing the challenges of students’ low interest and achievement in the subject.

Peteros et al. (2020) assert that recognizing and awarding students for their improved performance helps them boost their confidence and interest in the subject. An enjoyable learning environment significantly impacts students’ interest in studying mathematics and improves their performance ( Mazana et al. , 2019 ). Despite the expected positive results from implementing the innovation to promote interest to learn mathematics and improve performance, Maass et al. (2019) warn that implementing innovation in the classroom is a challenging and demanding activity that requires teacher’s commitment and motivation. The King and Queen of Mathematics Initiative (KQMI) adopted the awarding and recognition of students with improved achievement. The subject teacher crowned students the title of King or Queen to kindle students’ interest and make mathematics learning more enjoyable.

The status of students’ achievement in mathematics

Globally, students’ performance in mathematics has been a challenging issue given its importance in this era of science and technology. In Nigeria, Sa'ad et al. (2014) report that students perform poorly in mathematics, citing students’ negative attitudes and lack of innovative teaching methods as the cause. In Kenya, Mbugua et al. (2012 ) report similar factors for low achievement in mathematics. Peteros et al. (2020) report that, in the Philippines, the level of performance in mathematics in 2020 was low as the majority of students (53.01%) performed below the average. The implication is that many teachers fail to make the mathematics learning process enjoyable for students. Mazana et al. (2019) report that developing a positive attitude among students is when they enjoy the subject through various innovative and engaging methods. This positive attitude has a significant impact on improving achievement in the subject. Studies have revealed that apart from students struggling with mathematics achievements in Pakistan, female students have performed better than male students ( Khan et al. , 2018 ). In the light of the above, it necessitates emphasizing pedagogical innovations to eliminate the challenges and enhance students’ achievement in mathematics.

In Tanzania, the state of performance in mathematics subject is low. Ndume et al. (2020) show that the pass rate of mathematics in form four national examination is 16%. The trend of failure in the subject is high as research shows that in 2012 alone, 69% of form four students failed in the subject ( Mazana et al. , 2020 ). Mazana et al. (2019) reported factors associated with low achievement in mathematics as (1) students’ attitude towards mathematics, (2) the perception that the subject is complex, (3) low level of self-confidence, (4) bad grades attained in the classroom tests discourage students, (5) poor background and (6) irrelevance of the content to real-life situations.

As Mazana et al. (2019) posit, the persistence of the factors results in a small number of passing in form four national examination results. It implies that few students will continue in science subjects in advanced secondary education and at the university level. Despite increasing students from 240,160 in 2014 to 435,345 in 2020, the pass rate has remained low, as shown in Table 1 . The pass rate had progressively decreased from 2.82% in 2015 to 0.09% in 2020. This performance decrease manifests the necessity of applying pedagogical innovations to promote interest and improve students’ achievement in learning mathematics.

Due to poor performance in mathematics and the associated factors, teachers have been innovating and experimenting with various initiatives to promote students’ interest in learning the subject to improve achievement. Some of the pedagogical innovations include mobile learning in mathematics ( Ndume et al. , 2020 ), mathematics island ( Yeh et al. , 2019 ) and task design ( Coles and Brown, 2016 ).

Therefore, this study explores the KQMI in promoting students’ interest and achievement in mathematics. The initiative intends to create an enjoyable learning environment while focusing on recognizing and awarding students to promote interest and improve achievements in mathematics.

The genesis of KQMI

The KQMI is a pedagogical innovation of mathematics teachers at the school. The KQMI primarily was adopted from a nearby primary school called Tuishime, where higher achievers were crowned the titles of King for a male and Queen for a female student at the end of the academic year, i.e. November each year. The event took place on Parents’ Day at the school to inspire students to work hard and improve their achievements.

The KQMI started in a new academic year in January 2020 at Lemara Secondary School, where this study was conducted. A mathematics teacher called Jamila adopted the initiative, and she was committed to seeing students’ mathematics achievement improve in the school where she taught. Mostly, ward secondary schools (secondary schools built in each ward in Tanzania are classified by a generic name as ward secondary school) are regarded as low-quality schools because they are newly established, under-resourced and located in catchment areas, i.e. the villages in the vicinity, affecting classroom attendance due to dropouts. Notably, the enrolled students always have an average or low performance in Primary School Leaving Examination. For example, in many ward secondary schools, the pass rate in mathematics is between 5 and 8% lower than that of well-established public and private schools. As a result, students will achieve low in mathematics in national examinations.

Interestingly, most students in many ward secondary schools fail in mathematics while passing other science subjects such as biology, chemistry and physics. According to Mazana et al. (2019) , mathematics is a compulsory subject at the lower secondary level; hence, students who aspire to continue with any science or business combinations at the upper secondary level must have a pass in mathematics. This requirement hinders their dream as they cannot join science subjects in advanced levels of learning as they did not pass mathematics.

The teacher at Lemara Secondary School was motivated to adopt and implement the KQMI to address the challenge of massive failure in mathematics and the need to help these students to reach their dreams of continuing in higher levels of education in mathematics, science and business subjects. The implementation of KQMI involved the third-grade science class where the teacher was assigned to teach. Since the class expected to sit for the grade four national examination the following year, the initiative gave the teachers and students more time to learn.

The KQMI involved a weekly mathematics test competition where it crowned one male and female student who emerged with the highest score as King and Queen of Mathematics for one week. Every Friday, the teacher administered a test and could ask for help from other teachers in administering and invigilating the test. After every three months, students sat for comprehensive tests. The mathematics teacher who implemented the KQMI dedicated her time to helping students as she had to work extra hours to make the initiative realistic, attainable and sustainable. The extra work included marking students’ tests during the weekend and spending hours for remedial classes on the weekdays. In some cases, the teacher had to incur costs for printing tests which is rare for many teachers. The King and Queen received a special badge to identify them and recognize their efforts and achievement, and they had to strive hard to retain their titles.

Problem statement

Studies have shown that students’ performance in mathematics is poor, and the data have confirmed this poor performance trend ( Mazana et al. , 2019 , 2020 ). The crucial factors include the perception that mathematics is a complex subject and the lack of self-confidence among students due to their low grades. Despite students’ poor background in mathematics, the mentioned factors have resulted in a negative attitude towards the subject, which has affected their interest, thus, leading to poor performance in the subject. The introduction of KQMI focused on promoting students’ interest in the subject to attract self-confidence and improve mathematics achievement. The study then focused on exploring whether the KQMI has a significant impact on promoting students’ interest in learning mathematics and improving their performance.

Research questions

How has KQMI promoted students’ interest in learning mathematics?

To what extent the KQMI has succeeded in improving students’ achievement in mathematics?

What challenges affect the implementation of the KQMI?

Research hypotheses

The KQMI has a significant impact on improving students’ achievement in mathematics.

After implementing the KQMI, female students will achieve better mathematics than male students.

Literature review

Focusing on an educational paradigm rooted in critical pedagogy, the Socratic method, futures studies, and peace education, this essay takes the position that classrooms of the future should be transformed into safe harbours where students are afforded the opportunity to explore, deconstruct and share knowledge of themselves, their experiences, and the world in which they live. ( 2016 , p. 1)

Based on the above call for pedagogical innovations to enhance learning, promoting students’ interest to learn mathematics and improving their achievement in the subject is the central focus. The following section presents a review of these aspects.

Harackiewicz et al. (2016) define interest as “an individual’s momentary experience of being captivated by an object and more lasting feelings that the object is enjoyable and worth further exploration”. In the context of learning, Wong and Wong (2019) define interest as the state of engaging students in learning mathematics while enjoying the learning process. This study considers interest as the state of students being confident and free in interacting with teachers and colleagues in learning mathematics while showing they like and enjoy the learning process. Emefa et al. (2020) define interest as a psychological state occurring during the interaction between a person and a specific subject or activity, including the process of willingness, attention, concentration and positive feeling towards that particular subject or activity.

Interest is a construct of motivation and other constructs like perceived control, collaboration involvement and efficacy ( Ahmed, 2016 ). Also, Järvelä and Renninger (2014) concur that the concept of motivation is broader than interest, implying that interest, together with other factors, results in motivation. Knoll (2000) added that interest is a significant initiator of motivated behaviour; hence, before a student is motivated in learning, one must be interested first. Järvelä and Renninger further assert that interest is a cognitive and affective motivational variable that advances through four phases: (1) triggering of interest, (2) sustained, (3) emerging interest and (4) extending to a more well-developed individual interest.

In their study, Toli and Kallery (2021) provided the characteristics of interest that include increased attention, efforts, effects and experience. They used a situational interest development model to enhance students’ interest in learning science. The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between students’ learning outcomes and interest in the subject.

The study focused on interest as a single construct without relating to other aspects of motivation. It explored students’ psychological state towards their willingness to participate, learn attentively and concentrate on the subject happily. As Harackiewicz et al. (2016) presented, all the four interest-enhancing initiatives, attention-getting settings, contexts evoking prior individual interest, problem-based learning and enhancing utility value, were considered in the KQMI. Again, Singh et al. (2002) reveal that motivation and interests serve the goal of enhancing students’ achievement in mathematics.

Pedagogical innovations to promote interest in learning mathematics

Improved students’ performance in mathematics begins with students’ interest in liking the subject. Students’ interest is an internal aspect that develops in a given environmental setting ( Azmidar et al. , 2017 ). These traits manifest students’ interest in learning mathematics. In their research, Wong and Wong (2019) found no significant correlation between students’ interest in the subject and performance. Their study further revealed that being interested in learning mathematics includes liking the subject, answering questions in mathematics class, desire to learn more about the subject and anxiety to know all about how to do mathematics problems. However, Frenzel et al. (2010) found that promoting students’ interest in learning mathematics was more beneficial to low achievers as they improve their performances over time. This finding contradicts Wong and Wong’s (2019) reports, however, they gave the factors concerned with the insignificance of interest and achievement.

Motivation has also been considered an essential factor in promoting students’ interest in learning mathematics. Yeh et al. (2019) assert that a low level of motivation results in low interest in learning mathematics and hence low achievement. This assertion indicates a correlation between students’ interest and their academic achievements. They further argue that game-based teaching methods engage learners, encourage critical thinking and construct motivation. Although Otoo et al. (2018) opine that motivation has no significant impact on promoting interest, such assertion has received little support from scholars.

Again, studies have uncovered various aspects of improving students’ interest in mathematics. According to Yeh et al. (2019) , three aspects indicate students’ interest in the subject: attitude, initiative and confidence. They further describe that students’ liking of the subject significantly influences their attitudes. The initiative is from participating voluntarily in mathematics activities even beyond class hours. Confidence is the ability to ask questions or request the teacher to re-explain concepts during the lesson. Hackett and Betz (1989) also confirm that confidence is central to enhancing students’ interest in learning and improving the subject’s achievement. Self-confidence enhances students’ interest, whereby self-confidence depends on the perceived usefulness of the content, background knowledge and the level of anxiety among students ( Otoo et al. , 2018 ). In this regard, promoting students’ interest in learning mathematics depends on students’ internal factors.

Teachers use motivation strategies such as rewards, recognition, encouragement and praise to boost students’ interest in learning mathematics ( Kashefi et al. , 2017 ). Another pedagogical innovation used was the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract approach to raise students’ interest in studying mathematics ( Azmidar et al. , 2017 ). The approach starts with concrete objects to perform mathematical operations, followed by pictorial and the last move to abstraction. This process implies that interest also depends on external factors from students learning environment.

Therefore, developing students’ interest in learning mathematics depends on internal and external factors. Counselling, consultations and assessment results identify students with challenges and take time to understand them to help identify internal factors and use them in assisting. The external factors may include rewards, recognitions, remedial classes and praise. Teachers need to be aware of this and design pedagogical approaches that consider both factors. Combining these strategies bears a solid contribution to promoting students’ studying interests.

Pedagogical innovation in improving students’ achievement in mathematics

Without suitable teaching methods and effective use of time allocated for teaching, many students will fail to improve their academic achievements ( Mosha, 2018 ). Students have struggled to develop mathematical skills, which probably implies that the teaching methods used were less effective and impactful. The struggle has led to various pedagogical innovations to promote students’ achievement in the subject.

Innovative teaching methods significantly improve students’ achievement in mathematics ( Abd-Algani, 2019 ). Such teaching methods include evaluation for learning, digital tools and applications, constructive learning principles and differential teaching. Yeh et al. (2019) developed a game-based method to enhance students’ learning environment. Their innovation found that the teaching method increased students’ mathematics achievement ( Abd-Algani, 2019 ). Task design is also considered a pedagogical innovation that intends to enhance students’ learning, understanding and achievement in tests ( Coles and Brown, 2016 ). Coles and Brown further mention the principles of implementing task design: (1) lesson delivery beginning with contrasting examples to spark curiosity among students, (2) students showing similarities and differences and (3) students naming the differences are directly linked and results in learning.

Despite the efforts to implement pedagogical innovations to improve students’ achievement, teachers and students encounter some challenges. Teachers fail to implement innovative approaches in schools due to limited material and time resources and huge workloads ( Abd-Algani, 2019 ; Kashefi et al. , 2017 ). Apart from the challenges that teachers face, on the side of students, the readiness to learn, the level of motivation and background issues act as challenges ( Wang et al. , 2018 ). Wang et al. further reveal that ability of teachers to apply pedagogical innovations in classroom settings depends on the methodological resources they have at their disposal. The resources are necessary to support and ensure the effectiveness of innovative pedagogies used in teaching and learning.

However, the innovations implemented might enhance students’ interest and hence achievement in the subjects, but several other factors also significantly contribute to students’ learning and achievement. Students’ ability, attitudes and perceptions, socio-economic variables, parent and peer influences, school-related variables, family and home environment, motivational variables and instructional time affect students’ achievement ( Singh et al. , 2002 ). This study also compared students’ performance before, during and after the KQMI. The purpose of the comparison focused on understanding the consistent influence of other factors apart from the KQMI on students’ achievements in mathematics.

Theoretical framework

Several studies have shown the application of the Interest-Driven Creator (IDC) theory in promoting students’ interest in learning mathematics ( Wong et al. , 2020 ; Wong and Wong, 2019 ). The theory shows the issues that contribute to creating and sustaining students’ interest in learning. From the IDC theory, Wong et al. (2020) came up with a model that involves three stages and focuses on developing and maintaining interest in learning. The model stages are Triggering, Immersing and Extending. According to Harackiewicz et al. (2016) , triggering implies catching students’ interest through attention-catching situations or environmental stimuli that ignite a reaction or response, while immersing means a maintained response to engage in learning activities/tasks. Harackiewicz et al. further reveal that extending means internalized behaviour of re-engaging in particular learning activities and tasks as the outcome of the former two stages (see Figure 1 ).

Methodology

Design of the study.

A case study design was adopted to understand the effectiveness of the innovative initiative that aimed at promoting students’ interest in learning mathematics and improving their performance. A case study was appropriate because the design involved intensive analysis of individual units within a case. A researcher focuses on the process of tracing and allows multiple ways of collecting information ( Creswell, 2014 ; Denzin and Lincoln, 2018 ). In this case, the unit was a specific class, grade three, in a school. The design was flexible enough to allow multiple data collection methods, i.e. interviews, observation and documentary review.

Lemara Secondary School was the area of study. It is one of the ward secondary schools within Arusha Municipality in Arusha region, located in the northern part of Tanzania. Historically, ward secondary schools were introduced in 2004 when Tanzania implemented the Secondary Education Development Programme phase two (SEDP II). SEDP II aimed to expand the enrolment rate in secondary schools since many students failed to proceed with education after completing the primary level. Ward schools mushroomed quickly, and they started operating while under-resourced with both teaching and learning materials and the number of teachers. These challenges persisted for a long time – the poor performance in form four national examinations among ward secondary schools confirms this (see Table 1 ).

Lemara Secondary School, established in 2005, is a co-education school. Currently, the school has grade one up to grade form four students. Mathematics is one of the compulsory subjects for all students, whether they specialize in science, business or arts subjects.

Participants and the KQMI context

The study involved form third grade (form three) science class in 2020. The class fits in the study because science class requires a good command of mathematical skills; hence, promoting their interest and performance in mathematics could significantly impact their science subjects. The participants in the study were 77 students (40 females and 37 males) and two teachers (a mathematics teacher and the head of the school).

Despite the KQMI involving weekly tests to find the King and Queen of another week, it involved teachers’ use of participatory teaching methods and remedial sessions to help the low achievers who were willing to be assisted. The study did not focus on the weekly scores but on the examinations stipulated on the school calendar; midterm, terminal and annual examinations. These tests gave a clear understanding of the performance trend during the implementation of the KQMI. The winners each week were crowned and given a special badge to wear for the whole week while exempted from all school activities outside the classroom. Wearing the special badge and the exemption from activities meant recognizing their weekly achievement, thus attracting many students to compete for such respectful recognition.

Data collection methods

Data collection methods involved documentary review, classroom observation and interviews. The data collection process considered teaching, learning and assessment practices conducted from January 2020 to November 2020. These data collection methods allowed researchers to interact with practitioners involved in action research within their contexts. Through interacting with the practitioners, the researcher obtained adequate and rich information concerning the implementation of KQMI. The methods ensured that appropriate data were collected to provide evidence for evaluating the implementation of KQMI. Qualitative data analysis employed content and narrative analysis. Quantitative data analysis employed a t -test calculation to find whether the initiative had a significant impact on improving students’ mathematics performance.

Interviews: The mathematics teacher who implemented KQMI, the head of the school, and six selected students participated in the interview. The mathematics teacher was purposively selected because she was the one implementing the KQMI at school. The head of the school has vital information concerning supporting and monitoring the initiative. Further, the head of the school occasionally observed the teaching and learning process in mathematics class to improve students’ interest in learning the subject. Students were selected from each test, the highest and lowest achiever, making six students from four tests administered. Two students won the crowns twice, making six students participate in the interview instead of eight.

Documentary review: The researcher reviewed several documents, such as students’ score records, to gather relevant information. The score involved students from science class (KQMI class) and other students (non-KQMI class). The KQMI class scores were taken before, during and after the initiative. In the non-KQMI class, the researchers took the scores from examinations before and after the initiative. Also, the researcher reviewed the mathematics teacher’s lesson plan to understand how the teacher planned the lessons and the kind of recommendations she gave for improvement.

Observation: Researchers conducted classroom observation to understand the noticeable changes in students’ behaviours like participating in discussions, attendance and asking questions.

Data analysis plan

Data analysis involved statistical analysis and coding data into categories and themes based on the data type obtained. The scores obtained from the documentary review were analyzed using a t -test to determine whether the initiative significantly impacted students’ performance. Again, the analysis involved Cohen’s D statistical calculation to determine the effect size of the KQMI on students’ performance. The study had two hypotheses: (1) showing that the initiative has a significant impact on students’ performance and (2) showing that after implementing the initiative, female students would perform better than male students. Data from observation and interviews were coded and developed into themes – direct quotations from respondents supported the findings.

Dependability, trustworthiness and credibility

Multiple procedures ranging from the data collection to analysis ensured the research’s dependability, trustworthiness and credibility ( Creswell, 2012 ). The study employed a triangulation method involving multiple data collection methods such as interviews, observation and documentary review (see Table 2 ).

Ethical consideration

The researcher adhered to all research ethics. The researcher handled data confidentially while maintaining anonymity after obtaining participants’ consent to participate in the study ( Auerbach and Silverstein, 2003 ; Creswell, 2007 ). Respondents were informed about the purpose of the research. Participants granted their consent, and the researcher protected all respondents from physical, psychological and political harm or risk. The information collected and presented did not disclose participants’ identities to maintain anonymity. Ensuring anonymity, the researcher used pseudo names during the data presentation.

The study intended to explore the impact of KQMI in promoting students’ interest in learning mathematics and improving their achievement. Further, the study intended to uncover the challenges teachers and students faced during the initiative’s implementation. The findings have revealed that students revived their learning interests as they engaged more in learning activities. Achievement gradually improved as the average increased from 17.6 to 29.8 in the first year of implementing the KQMI. Despite the promising results of the initiative, teachers’ commitment and material and financial support emerged as threats to the KQMI’s sustainability. The following sections present these findings in detail.

The KQMI in promoting interest in learning mathematics

In teaching, I mainly use demonstration and activity-based methods to show them how to solve various mathematical problems. Later, I give them questions that they must solve, as I had demonstrated. Also, I conduct remedial classes in the evening for those who wish to come and share their difficult areas. I also adopted a mathematics clinic strategy from one of my friends, though it was for all classes, not only the science class that I implemented the KQMI. I did this because students had varying levels of confidence as some could not speak in front of the class, but when they came alone, they shared the challenging part of their learning. (Mathematics teacher, 2021)

The findings again have revealed that students’ classroom behaviours have changed positively as they actively participated in the learning activities. The findings revealed that students demonstrated passive learning behaviour before KQMI, but after the initiative, they showed interest in the subject as they actively engaged in learning activities. Now students asked questions, responded to the teacher’s questions and assignments and participated in discussions, particularly trying to link concepts they have learned in the classroom. They tried to link what they have learned with its application in real-life situations. Further, students request the teacher repeat what they did not understand well, as shown in Table 3 . The act of students asking questions to the teacher, participating in discussion and requesting to reteach concepts they did not understand well implies that they have improved their confidence hence understanding the subject. The KQMI enhanced students’ academic engagement since it increased the number of students attending remedial classes, unlike before. The academic engagement proved that students previously were afraid or disliked the subject due to low interest.

Students started spending more time studying mathematics than in other subjects, which improved performance in mathematics and not in the other subjects. Students living in school hostels were found in the class around 10 pm, solving mathematics questions in groups. One of the teachers on duty observed this situation while walking around the school premises. (Mathematics teacher, 2021)

Previously [when] you enter the class knowing there will be no questions, so even the preparations were not intensive enough. Nevertheless, as they started asking many questions and asking to repeat or clarify using simple language, I started having intensive preparations for lessons so that I may not seem less prepared or fail to respond to some questions. Also, I started taking a variety of books in classrooms. But most importantly, I used the feedback to identify and provide assistance to low achievers. (Mathematics teacher, 2021)

The trend of students’ achievement in mathematics during the KQMI

In the second research question, the focus was to determine whether the initiative improved students’ achievement and to what extent. The findings have revealed improvement in students’ achievement in mathematics. The mean in test 1 was 17.6, increasing to 29.8 in test 4. The teacher administered test 1 in March 2020, where students learned and covered a few topics compared to test 4 at the end of November after covering all the topics required in form three class.

The study compared students’ achievement through mathematics scores before and after implementing the KQMI. The scores before KQMI were taken from the form two standardized examination, while after the initiative, the scores were from the national form four examinations. The findings revealed that the performance in form two examination before the initiative was 31.2% of the KQMI class achieved the pass grades while only 6.6% of the non-KQMI class achieved the pass grades. After the initiative, 35.1% of KQMI class achieved a passing grade, while only 1% of the non-KQMI class achieved a passing grade. The grading is classified in a range of scores as A  = 75–100% (Excellent), B  = 65–74% (Very good), C  = 45–64% (Good), D  = 30–44% (Satisfactory) and F  = 0–29% (Fail). A grade from A–D is a pass and a grade of F is a fail.

The comparison of mathematics achievement, as shown in Table 4 , reveals that, despite the increment in complexity and quality of the content covered, the KQMI class had a low doping rate compared to that of the non-KQMI class. Before the initiative, 46.75% of students in a KQMI class obtained a passing grade, while a non-KQMI class had 6.6%. After implementing the initiative, 35.1% of students in a KQMI class obtained a passing grade compared to 1% of students in a non-KQMI class. Although the achievement had dropped for both classes, the KQMI class did not have a sharp drop.

The findings have shown that the KQMI has improved students’ achievement in mathematics. The study had two hypotheses for testing the significant impact of the initiative on students’ performance. The first hypothesis stated that the KQMI has a substantial impact on promoting students’ achievement in mathematics. The dependent t -test was employed to understand the effect of the KQMI in improving students’ performance. The study found that the initiative was statistically significant as the p -value was 0.000 in all pairs tested; hence, it rejected the null hypothesis and supported the research hypothesis.

The second research hypothesis stated that after implementing the KQMI, female students would perform better than male students. Despite the mathematics teacher and the head of the school being females, they have not inspired female students to improve their achievements. The study expected female students to have more self-confidence because of a female mathematics teacher. The findings contradict Khan et al. ’s (2018) study that female students outperform male students when a female teacher instructs a subject. In test 1, as the initiative started, there was no significant difference in achievement between male and female students, t (71) = 1.351, p  > 0.05. However, in test 4, it was found that there was a significant difference in achievement as males performed better than female students, t (74) = 2.951, p  < 0.05. In this view, the research hypothesis, “After implementing the KQMI, female students will have higher achievement in mathematics than male students”, was rejected, and the null hypothesis was accepted. Again, the descriptive statistics in Figure 2 reveal that in all tests except test 3, males had a higher average than female students. Therefore, the findings confirm that the initiative was less effective for female students than male students. This finding contradicts Khan et al. ’s (2018) report that females perform better than males in mathematics (see Figure 3 ).

The researchers calculated the pair of tests to determine the effect size of the training programme. The findings revealed that the T1*T2, T1*T3 and T1*T4 pairs had Cohen’s D greater than 0.8 hence implying the effect size of the training is as large as shown in Table 4 . The effect size of tests (see Cohen’s D in Table 4 ) revealed that as the number of topics increased and tests became comprehensive, the initiative’s effect reduced; for example, T1*T2 Cohen’s D is 1.55, wherein T1*T4 Cohen’s D is 0.99. However, as calculated in the t -test, the later pairs found that there was no significant improvement from test 2 to test 3 and test 3 to test 4 ( p  > 0.05) (see Table 5 ).

Challenges encountered during the implementation of KQMI

The study found that the teacher spent her weekend marking the tests or assignments and recording the scores to announce winners every Monday morning. Further, the teacher designed special badges for winners as a sign of recognition to the entire school. Hence, the initiative required intrinsic motivation of individual teachers and commitment regardless of little assistance from school management. In this view, other mathematics teachers were hesitant to join the initiative citing it as it adds more responsibilities to the workload they already had. As a new initiative without any reference for its success, it received little assistance at the school level. The school did not provide the required resources and facilities. The teacher used her resources like money and time to manage the initiative. The head of the school confirmed the findings as she said, “ We do not have enough resources to support every new initiative. But some creativity means added responsibility, so many teachers are against it. It should come from within to be successful .”

The teacher reported some discouragement from fellow teachers as they did not assist in administering tests or marking. In some cases, the mathematics teacher requested some students from higher classes to assist in administering and invigilating the test. The teacher wrote the test on the board, so it was tedious somehow and forced the teacher to have few questions than her prior expectations.

On the side of challenges-facing students, the study revealed that they were inspired to work hard and win the title, hence placing more effort in learning mathematics than other subjects. During the interview, the teacher revealed, “ Some teachers complained that students are focusing on only one subject. This situation, to some extent, lowered their performance in other science subjects. However, I asked them to motivate them using different strategies. I could not change my initiative because I wanted my students to improve their achievement .”

Apart from the King and Queen, I prepared badges for the most improved girls and most improved boys, who moved to one or more grades higher than the previous one. The challenge I faced was that some students scored very low and believed they would never improve, so they never put effort to improve no matter how the teacher assisted and motivated them. Also, I learned and changed how to recognize them due to some students’ discouragement as they believed they would never win or be recognized. (Mathematics teacher, 2021)

Discussions

Pedagogical innovations have proved to effectively promote students’ interests in learning mathematics ( Mazana et al. , 2019 ). The innovations help students to discard their long-rooted beliefs that mathematics is complicated and they cannot perform well. The KQMI, as pedagogical innovation, has significantly improved students’ interest in learning mathematics and improved performance through the designed teaching methods such as task-based ( Coles and Brown, 2016 ) and mathematics clinic. These task-based teaching and mathematics clinics are in the immersing stage in the theoretical framework where students engage in learning activities that develop interests in learning ( Wong and Wong, 2019 ). The initiative’s outcome saw students change their classroom behaviours where they became active in interacting and showing interest in the subject.

Through innovations, students activate their interests to participate in classroom activities and better use their private time to learn and solve mathematical problems. The findings have proved the improved achievement after the KQMI, as the first hypothesis has confirmed. However, the hypothesis predicted that female students would outperform male students because the mathematics teacher was female, but female students achieved lower than their counterparts. This finding led to the rejection of the second research hypothesis and accepted the null hypothesis. The findings resonate with Hackett and Betz (1989) and Chouinard et al. (2007) , who found that sex difference in mathematics self-efficacy correlates with sex variation in mathematics achievement.

In a sustained context, Wong et al. (2020) term self-directed learning as extending interest as students make meaningful internalization of the learning behaviour. Sa'ad et al. (2014) support the finding as they reveal that a lack of pedagogical innovations harms students’ academic achievement. Recognizing the achievement boosts students’ self-confidence; hence, it makes them free to make trials in solving problems, asking questions and urging the teacher to reteach some concepts they have not well mastered. This finding resonates with Peteros et al. (2020) that recognition boosts students’ confidence and interest in learning mathematics. Students with a high level of confidence are likelier to have high achievements in the subject ( Hackett and Betz, 1989 ).

Wong et al. (2020) affirm that triggering interest involves facilitating an activity that elicits initial interest. In this study, award-winning and recognition triggered students’ interests in participating actively in learning tasks and seeking assistance for improvement. The recognition, awards and good scores triggered students to engage in various activities. Students who developed an interest in learning mathematics have significantly improved the subject’s achievement. This finding contradicts the findings of Wong and Wong (2019) that there is no significant correlation between students’ interest and their performance. Since they spend more time learning and practising, it makes them more confident and internalizes the taught skills, making it easy to apply the learned skills even in tests and examinations ( Azmidar et al. , 2017 ; Frenzel et al. , 2010 ).

Implementing pedagogical innovations such as KQMI requires teachers’ self-commitment and intrinsic motivation ( Maass et al. , 2019 ). There are a few obstacles that jeopardize the sustainability of the initiative. The teacher experienced a lack of recognition at the school level, and assistance from fellow teachers threatened pedagogical innovations’ prosperity. The lack of cooperation is a challenge for mathematics teachers and the other teachers who may be motivated to try their innovative strategies in teaching their subjects. School management should motivate teachers and students to use pedagogical innovations by providing resources and facilities. Using personal resources among teachers and students demotivates them and obstructs the innovation to deliver the expected outcome.

Conclusions

The study intended to explore the impact of KQMI in promoting students’ interest in learning mathematics and improving their achievement. The initiative has promoted interest as students actively participated in learning activities. Comparing the achievement before and after the initiative and with other non-KQMI classes, the KQMI has significantly improved students’ achievement in mathematics. Pedagogical innovations such as KQMI have effectively promoted students’ interest in learning mathematics at Lemara Secondary School which saw their interest revised and achievement improved. Apart from the promising results of the initiative, teachers’ commitment and material and financial support emerged as threats to the sustainability of the pedagogical innovation. Supporting these pedagogical innovations is vital for sustainability and achieving a maximum outcome in improving general performance among the students.

It is crucial to pilot the initiative in other schools to determine its contribution to promoting interest and achievement in mathematics. Teachers should be provided with motivation and capacity-building training to adopt and implement pedagogical innovations such as the KQMI. Teachers and students should get the necessary support to improve mathematics performance, especially in under-resourced ward schools that lag in national examination results. Future studies should first focus on implementing the initiative in more schools and assess its impact on promoting students’ interests in learning mathematics and improving performance. Secondly, studies should aim at strategies to inspire more teachers to engage in pedagogical innovations and foster cooperation. The pedagogical innovation and collaboration will enhance teachers’ continuous professional development to see them transform their classroom teaching practices.

Interest development model modified from Wong et al. (2020)

Mean comparison in four administered tests

Mean comparison between male and female students in four tests

Form four national examination mathematics pass rate in seven consecutive years