Perceived Factors Affecting Students’ Mathematics Performance in North Showa Zone Secondary Schools in Ethiopia

This paper examines the perceived factors affecting students Mathematics performance in North Showa administrative zone Secondary schools in Amhara regional state in Etiopia. Data from eight schools that involved 3 general secondary schools, 4 general secondary and preparatory schools and 1 preparatory school were collected. The participants were 153 teachers and 334 students. A Questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection. Quantitative method of data analysis was employed to analyze the data. Specifically percentage and Chi-square were implemented to analysis the data. The research takes teachers qualification, teaching method, students’ motivation and learning environment as a study variable. The study revealed that most of the teachers 91.03%, 71.9%, and 79.58% ha negative perception about teachers’ qualification, teaching method and students’ motivation to learn mathematics respectively. Most of the students (76.26%) have negative perceptions about teachers’ qualification to teach Mathematics. Most students (61.22%) also have negative perceptions about the teachers’ method of teaching mathematics. Many students (62.66%) have negative perceptions of the learning environment. Almost half of the students, i.e. 51.18% believe that students are motivated to learn mathematics. From the results it is concluded that mathematics teachers are not well qualified to teach mathematics, teachers follow poor teaching methodology to teach mathematics, students are not motivated to learn mathematics and the learning environment is not attractive for the students. As a result Debre Berhan University and the Zonal and woreda/district education bureaus should alleviate these problems by giving trainings for teachers and students and by providing necessary teaching aids for the schools.