International Journal on Teaching and Learning Mathematics
Vol 1, No 2 (2018): December (This issue published papers with authors/co-authors from 5 universitie

Low achievers and the quest for institutional standard in mathematics education: A phenomenology of subject matter experts’ opinions from Nigerian higher education

Joshua Abah ABAH (University of Agriculture Makurdi, Nigeria)



Article Info

Publish Date
28 Dec 2018

Abstract

This study adopts a phenomenological paradigm to present mathematics experts’ opinions on the existence of low achievers in Nigeria’s higher education system. Six career mathematicians volunteered from among the participants at a conference of one of Nigeria’s elite academic group to give their in-depth opinion on the role of educational institutions in handling low achievers, their impact on Nigeria’s quest for quality education, and personal approaches for managing low achievers in the mathematics classroom. The explication of the responses of the mathematics experts indicates concerns about the admission system of higher educational institutions and some pertinent pedagogical inadequacies of pure mathematicians. The study also revealed that the continual existence of low achievers in the discipline encourages high rate of dropping-out, poor quality of mathematics educators, and examination malpractice. Participants suggest counseling intervention, retraining of mathematics lecturers in teaching methodologies, and special mindset-boosting programmes as ways of handling low achievers in mathematics education. The phenomenology also unveiled certain unintended outcomes that may form the basis for future research into the peculiar attitudinal characteristics of academic mathematicians.

Copyrights © 2018






Journal Info

Abbrev

ijtlm

Publisher

Subject

Education Mathematics

Description

The aim of International Journal on Teaching and Learning Mathematics is to publish high-quality original research articles or review articles (only for invited foreign authors) on mathematics education which come from international audiences. This journal is designed and devoted to lecturers, ...