The study was undertaken to identify the factors that influence standard seven pupils when they choose whether to continue with mathematics at senior secondary level or not. The relative importance of the factors was also determined. The literature study identified the following factors: attitude towards mathematics, utility of mathematics, family members' influence, mathematics teacher's influence, peer group influence, achievement and gender. The empirical study dealt with the following: * A 77 item questionnaire was completed by 201 standard seven pupils. * The statistical analysis revealed significant differences between pupils who chose mathematics and those who did not, with regard to all variables except gender. * A regression analysis identified the most influential factors as achievement, family members' influence, attitude and the mathematics teacher. * The overall implications were: - Pupils be made to experience success so that their attitudes may change. - Parents must be involved in their children's education. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The poor mathematics achievement of South African learners is a great shock and reason for concern in our country. The question is asked why the learners achieve so poorly and whether something can be done to improve learners’ mathematics achievement. Research has shown that the field of study orientation is a primary factor for learners’ mathematics achievement. A positive study orientation towards Mathematics has a great influence on the positive achievement of learners in Mathematics. The use of metacognition has also been found to improve learners’ mathematics achievement and their ability to solve problems. It has been decided to find the relationship between learners’ study orientation and metacognition and to determine what the influence of the relationship is on learner's mathematics achievement. Learners’ study orientation is identified as six fields that have an influence on learner's mathematics achievement. The fields are learners’ study attitude in Mathematics, Mathematics anxiety, study habits in Mathematics, problem solving behaviour in Mathematics, study milieu (social, physical well-being and classroom atmosphere) in Mathematics and information processing in Mathematics. Metacognition is described as the learners’ thoughts concerning their own thinking and is divided in two separate components: • Metacognitive knowledge: it addresses the questions of what you know, how you think, when and where to use certain strategies. Metacognitive knowledge consists of strategic knowledge, knowledge of cognitive tasks and self-knowledge. • Self-management: self-management is 'metacognition in action' and learners use it to effectively apply the metacognitive knowledge. Self-management consists of prediction, planning, monitoring and evaluation. The study population comprise of Grade 7-learners in the Potchefstroom district. The schools that participated in the study serve learners from different socioeconomic backgrounds (ex-Model C, multicultural, township, farm and learners living in the township but their school is in an affluent environment. The sample was chosen from an expedient sample. The study consists of a quantitative research as well as a qualitative research. The quantitative research was conducted by making use of the study orientation questionnaire in Mathematics, a metacognitive questionnaire and a mathematics achievement questionnaire for Grade 7. The average of the high achievement learners as well the low achievement learners were determine, intercorrelations between the variables and a regression analysis has been done to find out which fields is a good predictor for mathematics achievement. The qualitative research was conducted, using interviews. The Mathematics teachers (involved in the learner's teaching and learning), high achievement learners and low achievement learners where interviewed. The interviews were interpreted and combined with the qualitative research findings. The study found that both a positive study orientation and use of metacognition in Mathematics can enhance learners’ mathematics achievement. High achieving learners are better orientated towards Mathematics and make use of metacognition in a greater extent than learners that achieve poorly in mathematics. In general learners have a positive attitude towards Mathematics and their study milieu is positive. It has been found that learner's orientation toward study habits is weak and their problem solving behaviour is weak also, especially with solving non routine problems. Out of the correlations it was found that learners which experience a high level of mathematics anxiety and a negative study milieu make less use of metacognition than learners that experience less mathematics anxiety and have a positive study milieu. There is a relationship between metacognition and study-orientation and this relationship has an influence on learners’ mathematics achievement. Recommendations were made concerning metacognition and study orientation. In order to enhance learners’ mathematics achievement, it is necessary to improve their use of metacognition and study orientation towards mathematics / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006

Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of creative drama- based instruction on 7th grade students&rsquo / achievement in probability concept and their attitude toward mathematics. Another purpose of the study is to investigate the gender differences regarding mathematics achievement and attitude. The study was conducted with two 7th grade classes from a public school in the 2010-2011 academic year, lasting 17 lesson hours (six weeks). Twenty-two of the participants received Creative Drama Based Instruction (CDBI), and twenty-one received Regular Instruction (RI). Experimental design was used in which two different learning environments / creative drama based instruction and regular instruction was compared. In order to measure students&rsquo / mathematics achievement Probability Achievement Test (PAT) was used. The participants were given Mathematics Attitude Scale (MAS), in order to quantify the levels of attitude towards mathematics. These instruments were implemented before and after the treatment as pre-test and post-test. Independent samples t-test was performed on gain scores of PAT and MAS. Moreover, two way ANOVA was performed to examine the data. Two way ANOVA results yielded that there was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of Experimental Group and Control Group in terms of achievement in favor of Experimental Group. Moreover, female students had significantly higher mathematics achievement scores than males. The results of mathematics attitude scale showed that the seventh grade students&rsquo / attitudes towards mathematics were not significantly different with respect to teaching method. Also, it could be stated that gender difference regarding of mean attitude scores was not statistically significant.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the computer software Frizbi Mathematics 4 on 4th grade student&rsquo / s mathematics achievement, retention, attitudes toward mathematics and attitude toward computer assisted learning. Two groups (experimental and control) of primary school students from &ldquo / Sht. Osman Ahmet&rdquo / primary school in Gazimagusa, North Cyprus were used in this study. Control group was taught using a lecture-based traditional instruction and experimental group was taught using educational software, namely Frizbi Mathematics 4. The control group consisted of 26 students where the experimental group consisted of 29 students. The groups were compared on achievement of mathematics, retention, and attitude toward mathematics and computer assisted learning. The study was conducted in spring semester of 2006-2007 academic year and included three units, Multiplication of Natural Numbers, Division of Natural Numbers, and Fractions. Scores on achievement tests were collected three times / at the beginning of the study, immediately after the intervention, and 4 months later. Mathematics attitude scale and computer assisted learning attitude scale were administrated only two times / at the beginning of the study and immediately after the completion of the study. A series of ANOVAs for repeated measures revealed significant difference between the groups on the post achievement tests and attitude scales in favor of experimental group. However, statistically significant differences in favor of treatment group, on the retention tests was attained on the multiplication and division units but not on fractions. The evidence indicates that Frizbi Mathematics 4 for learning and teaching mathematics at the primary school level in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is an effective tool.

The purpose of study is to investigate the effects of school characteristics on students&rsquo / mathematics achievement across Turkey by analyzing the data collected from school questionnaire, student background questionnaire and mathematics achievement test in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2007. The analyzed sample was comprised of 4,498 students in 146 schools. Student level factors were highest level of education of either parent, students speak the language of test at home, students&rsquo / parents born in country, books in home, computer and internet connection, computer use, index of time students spend doing mathematics homework in a normal school week, index of students&rsquo / positive affect toward mathematics, index of students&rsquo / valuing mathematics, index of students&rsquo / self confidence in learning mathematics. School related factors were principals reports on the percentages of students in their schools coming from economically disadvantaged homes, principals report on the percentage of students having the language of test as their native language, index of good attendance, principals time spent on various school related activities, schools encouragement of parental involvement, index of school resources for mathematics instruction, index of principals perception of school climate. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was used for analysis. The result of the study showed that 45% of variance between schools, 54.6 % of variance was in schools, 57.33 % of school variance in mathematics achievement accounted by principals&rsquo / report on percentages of students coming from economically disadvantaged homes, parents to volunteer for school programs, school resources for mathematics instruction and principals&rsquo / perception of school climate.

The poor mathematics achievement of South African learners is a great shock and reason for concern in our country. The question is asked why the learners achieve so poorly and whether something can be done to improve learners’ mathematics achievement. Research has shown that the field of study orientation is a primary factor for learners’ mathematics achievement. A positive study orientation towards Mathematics has a great influence on the positive achievement of learners in Mathematics. The use of metacognition has also been found to improve learners’ mathematics achievement and their ability to solve problems. It has been decided to find the relationship between learners’ study orientation and metacognition and to determine what the influence of the relationship is on learner's mathematics achievement. Learners’ study orientation is identified as six fields that have an influence on learner's mathematics achievement. The fields are learners’ study attitude in Mathematics, Mathematics anxiety, study habits in Mathematics, problem solving behaviour in Mathematics, study milieu (social, physical well-being and classroom atmosphere) in Mathematics and information processing in Mathematics. Metacognition is described as the learners’ thoughts concerning their own thinking and is divided in two separate components: • Metacognitive knowledge: it addresses the questions of what you know, how you think, when and where to use certain strategies. Metacognitive knowledge consists of strategic knowledge, knowledge of cognitive tasks and self-knowledge. • Self-management: self-management is 'metacognition in action' and learners use it to effectively apply the metacognitive knowledge. Self-management consists of prediction, planning, monitoring and evaluation. The study population comprise of Grade 7-learners in the Potchefstroom district. The schools that participated in the study serve learners from different socioeconomic backgrounds (ex-Model C, multicultural, township, farm and learners living in the township but their school is in an affluent environment. The sample was chosen from an expedient sample. The study consists of a quantitative research as well as a qualitative research. The quantitative research was conducted by making use of the study orientation questionnaire in Mathematics, a metacognitive questionnaire and a mathematics achievement questionnaire for Grade 7. The average of the high achievement learners as well the low achievement learners were determine, intercorrelations between the variables and a regression analysis has been done to find out which fields is a good predictor for mathematics achievement. The qualitative research was conducted, using interviews. The Mathematics teachers (involved in the learner's teaching and learning), high achievement learners and low achievement learners where interviewed. The interviews were interpreted and combined with the qualitative research findings. The study found that both a positive study orientation and use of metacognition in Mathematics can enhance learners’ mathematics achievement. High achieving learners are better orientated towards Mathematics and make use of metacognition in a greater extent than learners that achieve poorly in mathematics. In general learners have a positive attitude towards Mathematics and their study milieu is positive. It has been found that learner's orientation toward study habits is weak and their problem solving behaviour is weak also, especially with solving non routine problems. Out of the correlations it was found that learners which experience a high level of mathematics anxiety and a negative study milieu make less use of metacognition than learners that experience less mathematics anxiety and have a positive study milieu. There is a relationship between metacognition and study-orientation and this relationship has an influence on learners’ mathematics achievement. Recommendations were made concerning metacognition and study orientation. In order to enhance learners’ mathematics achievement, it is necessary to improve their use of metacognition and study orientation towards mathematics / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006

No description available.

The study was undertaken to identify the factors that influence standard seven pupils when they choose whether to continue with mathematics at senior secondary level or not. The relative importance of the factors was also determined. The literature study identified the following factors: attitude towards mathematics, utility of mathematics, family members' influence, mathematics teacher's influence, peer group influence, achievement and gender. The empirical study dealt with the following: * A 77 item questionnaire was completed by 201 standard seven pupils. * The statistical analysis revealed significant differences between pupils who chose mathematics and those who did not, with regard to all variables except gender. * A regression analysis identified the most influential factors as achievement, family members' influence, attitude and the mathematics teacher. * The overall implications were: - Pupils be made to experience success so that their attitudes may change. - Parents must be involved in their children's education. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

No description available.