AN ANALYSIS OF FEMALE STUDENTS PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SOKOTO METROPOLIS

AN ANALYSIS OF FEMALE STUDENTS PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SOKOTO METROPOLIS. A RESEARCH PROJECT TOPIC ON SCIENCE EDUCATION

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the performance of female students in mathematics in secondary schools in Sokoto metropolis. The population of the study consisted of the participants of all female secondary schools in Sokoto metropolis. The random sampling technique was used to take a sample of 200 students of SS II from all five female public secondary school in Sokoto metropolis. Promotional examination of students along with assessment Questionnaire were used for data collection for this research. Data collected were analyzed by employing simple descriptive statistics. The study found that the female students performance in mathematics is encouraging. One of the recommendations was that, the students should add more grease to their elbow by practicing what they are taught in class as this will help them greatly not only in their next promotional examination but also in their future studies.

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

1.1     Background to the Study

Mathematics often described as the language and backbone of science and technology is pervasive in all disciplines in today’s world. Actually, mathematical competence is vital to every individual’s meaningful and productive life. Outstanding mathematical ability, according to Adetula (1989), is a precious societal resource needed to maintain leadership in a scientific and technological world.

The line of demarcation between the developed (industrialized and wealthy) nations and the underdeveloped (non-industrialized and poor) nations is based on the level of mathematical attainment and ingenuity. Indeed without mathematics, there is no science, without science there is no modern technology and without modern technology there is no modern society.

Mathematics as a specialized cognitive tool is an undisputed agent of nation’s development and wealth creation. Its application is universal to all learning and everyday living from counting possession to measuring properties, predicting events, computing taxes/profits, drawing maps/plans, planning budget or warefare, providing models, synthesizing results. All these are indication that mathematics is useful in domestic and business deals, scientific discoveries, technological breakthrough, problem solving and decision making in different situation in life (Kolawole and Olutayo, 2005). Actually, mathematics is a key to productive and fulfilling life and is a big servant to humanity.

AN ANALYSIS OF FEMALE STUDENTS PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SOKOTO METROPOLIS. A RESEARCH PROJECT TOPIC ON SCIENCE EDUCATION