ABSTRACT

Trigonometry topics are very important in mathematics education as trigonometric functions have many applications in fields such as adverse physics, mechanical and electrical engineering, music, astronomy and biology. Any challenges encountered by students in learning affect overall performance in the subject. The purpose of the study was to determine the pedagogical factors affecting learning of the topic in secondary schools and recommendation made. The objectives of the study were: To determine the teaching methods applied that enhance students’ participation, the use of instructional resources available and adequacy, students’ attitude toward the topic, challenges encountered by students when learning and kind of classroom interaction patterns. The study was descriptive statistical survey focusing on F3 students and their mathematics teachers. Stratified sampling technique was used to select the 7 secondary schools from the three categories of the 27 schools in the district. Simple random sampling was used to select a F3 stream where there were more than one stream. Otherwise it was purposively selected. Data was collected using the instruments: Mathematics teachers’ questionnaire, Mathematics students’ questionnaire, Head of mathematics interview schedule and Flanders Interaction Analysis Categories. T he Reliability and Validity was done using Test-Retest method during piloting on two different schools which were not used for research actual data collection within time frame of two weeks. The correlation coefficient was 0.85 positive. Data from the questionnaires and classroom observation were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Qualitative analysis was involved in making inferences from open ended response questions. Quantitative analysis involved descriptive statistics indicating the factors affecting the learning of trigonometry by students. Results of the study findings indicated that teachers were not using teaching methods that encourage students’ participation as indicated by 50% of respondents who preferred using lecture and demonstration compared 7% for discussion, the instruction resources were inadequate as indicated by 34% of students, students had negative attitude towards the topic as indicated by71.4%.The main challenges encountered by students when drawing graphs were lack of understanding of the concept and failure to choose a suitable scale. The teachers’ dominated classroom interaction pattern taking two thirds of the lesson and hence limiting students’ participation. Recommendation: Teachers should integrate both expository and heuristic approaches thus increase students’ active participation in teaching and learning. SMASSE activities need to be incorporated in the learning process. Students need both  intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to help them change their attitude. School administrators should be ensuring the instructional resources for students are readily available and adequate.  If the above recommendation can be implemented there will be improved performance in trigonometry topic and hence overall performance in mathematics at KCSE level

CHAPTER ONE

1. INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the background and statement of the study of the problem. It  also presents the research questions used to guide the development of research instruments and analysis of the findings

. The purpose and significance of the study is also explained in this chapter. In addition the theoretical and conceptual frame works for the study is out lined in the chapter.

            Background to study.

Mathematics is taught because of its utility, cultural, social and personal reasons. It is an excellent vehicle for development and improvement of a person’s intellectual competence in logical reasoning, spatial visualization and analysis and abstract thought. Students develop numeracy, reasoning skills and problem solving skills through the learning and application of mathematics. These are valued not only in Science and Technology but also in everyday life and at the work place. The development of highly skilled man-power in science and technology requires a strong grounding in mathematics. An emphasis on mathematic education will therefore ensure that we have an increasing competitive work force to meet the challenges of 21^st century (Neunzert,2005).

The Mathematics that is taught in Kenyan secondary schools today has undergone various changes since early 1960s.These changes were due to either external or internal influence. Even after the changes that have taken place in mathematics education in terms of syllabus contents and time allocated to the subject, the performance in mathematics has remained poor. This calls for more research to find out whether the teaching methods applied by teacher in certain topics, resources availability and adequacy and teacher-student attitude towards certain topics contribute towards the overall poor performance.

KNEC reports (2004-2013) indicates that the topics in mathematics in which students performed poorly in KCSE included trigonometry, quadratic equations, statistics and scale drawing. When it came to the percentages of individual question analysis on topics that were poorly performed trigonometry questions dominated through out the period. This meant that there were certain factors/challenges affecting the learning of trigonometry by students which needed to be urgently address and the solutions found before any good performance could achieved. The effect of poor performance on trigonometry topics questions to overall performance in mathematics mean score at National level KCSE was evidence by the drop in mean score from 28.56%(2012) to 27.58%(2013) when the percentage of poorly performed trigonometry questions increased from 23%(2012) to 52.5%(2013) at the same period. This indicated that there were some factors/challenges affecting the learning of trigonometry by students that have had not been fully addressed and there was need for a research done to address the problem. The current research was aimed at determining the factors/challenges affecting the learning of trigonometry by student which was among the topics taught at three different levels in secondary schools.

Table 1.1 KCSE results –mean scores in mathematics performances in paper 1 and paper 2 from the year 2004 -2013 and analysis in percentages of poorly performed individual topics question over the period.

Source: The Kenya National Examination Council (2013)

Table1.1 Indicates the National KCSE data analysis of candidates overall performance in mathematics for the last ten years and individual topics question analysis on which candidates performed poorly over the period.

From the Table 1.1, On the National KCSE mathematics result analysis on mean scores and the poorly performed individual question analysis for various topics report there was a clear indication that trigonometry questions were poorly performed. The general tread as indicated from the results was that as the percentage of poorly performed individual questions in trigonometry topics decreased, the National mean score improved. The  problem of other poorly performed topics seemed to have been taken care of as indicated by general decreasing tread in their percentages over time. When it came to trigonometry topics the case was totally different as indicated by maintenance of high percentages of poorly performed individual questions. This was evidence between year 2012 and 2013 when the mean score of poorly performed individual trigonometry increased from 23% to 52.5% respectively. This indicated that there were some challenges that the students had been facing during the teaching and learning process of trigonometry in our secondary which had not been fully addressed. This study investigated the students’ related challenges in terms of teaching method applied, use of resources availability, challenges encountered by students during the teaching and learning of the topic which led to poor performance in the question related to the topic at KCSE examinations and came up with recommendation. From the results of analyzed data of Table1.1 it was that the importance of trigonometric concepts in mathematics course in secondary school could not be ignored. It was among the concepts of mathematics that was taught at three different levels (Form II-Form IV) and allocated a lot of time in the four years course. This was because of the total 714 lessons allocated to the four year mathematics syllabus course, 177 lessons were in trigonometry and related topics. This translates to 24.8% of the total time allocated to four years of secondary school education mathematics course. When it came to mathematics content syllabus coverage the trigonometry and related concepts were allocated 20.83% of the entire topic covered in four year course. Any challenges encountered during the learning process by the students in terms of teaching methods used,

resources availability, time allocated and so on means an overall poor performance in the subject. This research was aimed at determining the main challenges encountered by students during the learning process of trigonometry in terms of resources availability and adequacy during the learning of trigonometry. The research also aimed at finding out whether or not the technical terms used in trigonometry were difficult or challenge to many students in secondary schools in Gatundu North Sub-county, Kiambu County.

At the Sub-county level a similar trend in performance of mathematics could be observed in Gatundu North Sub-county of Kiambu County which was the focus of the study. There had been a low performance in mathematics compared to other compulsory subjects such as English and Kiswahili from (2009-2012) as shown in table 1.2.

Table 1.2 KCSE mean grade in mathematics and other compulsory subjects from 2009-2012 in Gatundu North Sub-county Kiambu County.