Analysis of academic performance of Visual Arts Students in Mathematics: a case of the Adanwomase Senior High School
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Date
May, 2019
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Abstract
The persistent mass failure in the Core Mathematics subject among the Visual arts students has attracted the interest of educational stakeholders and researchers to investigate the underlying factors responsible for such a teething challenge. Based on this background, the purpose of this study was to investigate the academic performance of the Visual Arts students in the Core Mathematics subject at the Adanwomase Senior High school in the Ashanti Region. This study emphasized on analyzing the trends in their performance in Mathematics, the major factors that account for their poor performance in Mathematics and the appropriate measures to improve their performance. The descriptive Survey design was employed where a total sample of 183 respondents were randomly selected to participate in the study. The sampled respondents comprised 33 teachers at the Adanwomase SHS, 149 Visual Arts students in SHS 2 and SHS 3 as well as the assistant Headmaster in the school in charge of academics. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and simple statistical analyses such as the t-test, mean, standard deviation and graphs. The main research instrument used was the researcher-designed questionnaires and interviews to collect appropriate data for the analysis. The Findings from the study revealed that, Students’ performance in mathematics was found to be consistently very poor as mass failures have always been recorded in the WASSCE in the school. The results from the t-test indicate that, there is no statistical significant differences between the mean scores from male respondents and female student’s respondents regarding their academic performance. Findings from the study also revealed that, the students have low interest, and negative perception in studying Mathematics in the school. Regarding the study habit of the students, the results show that, majority of the females students prefer engaging in cooperative learning with their colleagues to other individual studies while the male students prefer independent studies. Larger class size, negative attitude of the students towards mathematics, lack of academic competition in class, absenteeism, increased indiscipline account for their poor performance in school. It is recommended that, the school authorities, and the PTA should ensure that, the counseling unit in the school is well resourced and professional counselors are employed to provide counseling services to the students. These counseling services should particularly emphasize on fear and negative perception about learning Mathematics in the students. How the students should manage their time especially spending enough time to complete their assignment and homework are crucial.
Description
A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Art Education.
Keywords
academic performance, Visual Arts Students, Mathematics, Adanwomase Senior High School