Reasons and Suggested Solutions for Low-Level Academic Achievement in Mathematics

Abstract

This study tackles a worldwide problem, manifested in the low-level academic achievement in mathematics, by placing mathematics in a real life context beyond the border of book publications. It discusses the important role that mathematics plays in practice, as well as the effects of poor performance in mathematics on the academic career of students. The three pillars of the educational process are summarized in this article. In addition, the reasons for low-level academic achievement in mathematics are categorized in five divisions: student-related factors, teacher-related factors, curriculum-related factors, school-related factors and family-related factors. The article also states the stages in which mathematics goes through during school study, which are acquiring a strong foundation, practising mathematics, and the self-stage. Then it goes on more specifically to discuss the stages in which the teaching of any new concept or subject in mathematics must pass through. The researcher followed the qualitative approach based on in-depth interviews. The study ends up with suggested solutions for the problem of low-level achievement in mathematics for the student, teacher, parents and school.