AN INVESTIGATION INTO SENIOR SECONDARY STUDENTS’ PREFERENCE FOR NUMERICAL INFORMATION IN RELATION TO NUMERACY AND ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHEMATICS IN NIGERIA
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Date
2019
Authors
Awofala, A. O. A.
Arigbabu, Abayomi A.
Fatade, Alfred O.
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Abstract
In this study, the attempt was made to investigate senior secondary school students'
preference for numerical information as associated with numeracy and achievement in mathematics
in Lagos, Nigeria. The participants were 350 students carefully chosen from eight public senior
secondary schools in which the study adopted the quantifiable research methodology within the
scheme of the descriptive survey design. The collected data were analysed using the descriptive
statistics of percentages, mean, and standard deviation and inferential statistics of factor analysis
and multiple regression analysis. Results showed that preference for numerical information
measured by the preference for numerical information scale was a unidimensional construct with
very high-reliability index. Senior secondary school students showed a low preference for numerical
information. Numeracy in everyday life, numeracy in mathematical tasks, numeracy in workplace
tasks and preference for numerical information made statistically weighty contributions to the
prediction of students’ achievement in mathematics. In line with this study results, it is hereby
recommended that teachers of mathematics should not only teach number sense to pupils right from
the primary school but should employ learner-centred teaching strategies capable of positively
influencing students’ penchant for numerical information. Future studies in Nigeria and elsewhere
should endeavour to investigate the confirmatory factor analysis of the preference for numerical
information scale amid students at all levels of education.
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Keywords
Preference for numerical information, numeracy, achievement in mathematics, senior secondary school students