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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

The word “Mathematics” is a Greek word, meaning things that are learned. Majasa (1995) further defined it as the science of counting, measuring and describing of the shape of objects. It deals with logical reasoning and quantitative calculations. Mathematics as a school subject is recognized as the foundation of science and technology without which a nation will never become prosperous and economically independent. This underscores the importance of mathematical competence of all the learners al all levels of education and a reason for making mathematics compulsory and one of the leading core subject in the secondary schools curriculum. This importance accorded the recognition of the vital role it plays in contemporary society. Despite the effort put in by government, and various stakeholders of education, mathematics still remained one of the most difficult subject in schools.

 There is a general impression that mathematics is difficult by its very nature, and because of this impression, there is poor performance among junior secondary school students who are the focus of this study. This poor performance in mathematics has been attributed to two broad factors which include: Hereditary and processesal factors which can be subdivided into students, home, teachers, and school factors. Ola (1998).

 However, students reason that mathematics is highly structured and is so abstract and required special intellectual attitude. Thus; students see the subject as something esoteric. Emenalo (1986) in Nwogu (1990) articulated the fact thtae inherent notion held by many Africans that mathematics is a very difficult subject which is capable of making one “mad” is at the centre of the phobia which students exhibits for mathematics and which had claimed many causalities over the years, Nworgu (1990:123), therefore passes the question “how them would any person in fairness expect our poor and innocent children to be as courageous as to face something which is capable of making even an adult mad? The students would prefer to so something else no matter how difficult rather than to attend mathematics classes.

Most formal organizations like secondary schools are aimed at effective and efficient management of the human and material resources available for the attainment of the school academic goals. The classroom teacher is charged with lots of functions to perform in the teaching and learning process. One of the most challenging functions of the classroom teacher is classroom management and control. The teacher’s effectiveness in teaching is assessed by his ability to use varied classroom management techniques to control students towards effective and meaningful learning during instruction. Meaningful teaching and learning cannot be achieved in a classroom processes characterized by noise making and other distractions by students.

The academic achievement of students of a particular classroom can be attributed to the teachers’ ability to manage and control the classroom during instruction. Oyira (2006) reported that

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