Identifying the Factors Affecting Students' Performances in Primary School Mathematics

Abstract

Educational system reform is generally observed to bring change to the school and students' performance. After 5 years of its implementation, this study attempts to have an overview of schools from three different groups based on their students' mathematics achievements. This is done by identifying the factors that may have contributed to the students' low, medium and high achieving performances in mathematics in three case studies primary schools in Brunei Darussalam. The data were collected through lesson observations, interviews with the principals and the teachers, and field notes. The roles of the principals, teachers and parents were found to have significant factors, both enabling and constraining towards the students' performances.