CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION

OF FINDINGS

4.0Introduction

This chapter presents the results in reference to objectives in chapter one. Gender of respondents, Age of respondents, education level of respondents, and the study presented and analyzed in accordance to study objectives.

4.1 Findings on the demographic characteristics of respondents

4.1.1 Findings on the gender of respondents

Table 2: Showing gender of respondents

Source: primary data

According to the results in the study56.9% of the respondents were males , while only 43.1% were females.

Source: primary data

The pie chart above further demonstrates that the men were more than women in the response percentage.

4.1.2 Findings on the Age category of respondents

Table 3: Showing Age category of respondents

Source: primary data

According to the findings from the table above majority of the respondents were in the age category of 11-12 years, this is because most of the respondents were pupils of the different schools in Kayonza sub county, this was helped the researcher get information from the respondents who actually experience the situation at the ground , therefore the information they gave was accurate, however the results also further indicates that 17.6% of the respondents were in the age category of 30-39 years, while the 15.7% of the respondents were in the age bracket of 19-29 years , the mature respondents were 7.8% and they were in the age bracket of 40 years and above , these mature respondents were mostly Head teachers and teachers , this helped to give information to the researcher since they have a general knowledge on the events of the school.

4.1.3 Findings on the number of year’s teachers have worked

Table 4:  Showing the number of years teachers have worked

Source: primary data

According to the results in the table above 38% of the teachers have worked for more than 11 years, 29% have worked for 5-10 years and only 19% have worked for 1-4 years , these results indicates that most of the teachers have enough experience and skills regarding the causes of poor performance in mathematics in primary schools in busana sub county.

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4.1.3 Findings on qualification of head teachers and teachers

Table 5: Showing the academic qualification of Head teachers and teachers

Source: primary data

According to the results in the study57% of the Teachers and head teachers were Grade V, 29% were Grade 111 and only 14% were Graduates , this indicates that most of the teachers and Head teachers are well educated and therefore they can deliver quality Educational services to the pupils.

4.2 To examine whether the teaching and learning environment is conducive for effective teaching and learning to take place.

Table 6: Showing whether the teaching and learning environment is conducive for effective teaching and learning to take place.

Source: primary data

According to table above majority of the respondents indicates that 70% of the respondents disagreed that there enough desks in class rooms, 20% also hold the same view, 5% disagreed and only 5% strongly disagreed.

The study further indicates that 65% of the respondents assert that lack of classrooms in schools affects performance, 15% also support the same view, and only 5% of the respondents disagreed with the findings.

The findings indicates that There are few Mathematics text books available this was supported by 60% strongly agreed , 35% agreed and only 5% strongly disagreed.

According to the results in the study 55% of the respondents assert that Environmental surrounding affects performance of pupils, 35% agreed , while 5% disagreed and the remaining 5% strongly disagreed.

The findings in the study shows that Schools with good environmental surrounding have better performance, this was supported 60% of the respondents strongly agreed, 40% agreed, and none of the respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed.

The study further demonstrates that 55% of the respondents assert that There are no computers in school and only 25% of the respondents disagreed.

The study indicates that 65% of the respondents hold the view that Mathematics facilities are not available  , 35% of the respondents also support the view, while 5% were neutral and none of the respondents was neutral.

4.3 Difficulties faced by teachers and pupils in the teaching and learning of mathematics subjects in primary schools.

Table 7: Difficulties faced by teachers and pupils in the teaching and learning of mathematics subjects in primary schools.

Source: primary data

The findings in the study shows that 60% of the respondents assert that Pupils do not have the necessary requirements, 35% of the respondents also share the same view and only 5% strongly disagreed.

According to the results in the study 65% of the respondents strongly agreed that Rural environment leads to poor performance of pupils which affects teaching and learning, 15% also agree, 10% disagreed and the remaining  5% strongly agreed.

The findings in the study indicates the living conditions of pupils affects academic performance, this was supported by 60% of the respondents strongly agreed and only the remaining 40% also agreed and none of the respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed.

According to the findings in the study the results indicates that Children from poor families perform poorly in academics, this is supported by the fact that 55% strongly agreed, and only 35% strongly agreed only 5% disagreed and the remaining 5% also strongly disagreed.

According to the results in the study 70% of the respondents hold the view Schools in towns perform well, only 5% disagreed and only 5% strongly disagreed, this shows that schools in urban areas perform better than rural schools.

4.4 The solutions to enhance better performance in mathematics

Table 8: Findings on the solutions to enhance better performance in mathematics

Source: primary data

The results in the study shows that Ensuring daily teachers attendance is essential in improving pupil performance this is because the teachers will have enough time with the pupils , this was stated by 60% of the respondents , and only 5% strongly disagreed.

The findings in the study shows that 65% of the respondents assert that Encouraging reading culture among pupils enhances better performance among them, only 10% disagreed and the remaining 5% strongly disagreed, while none of the respondents disagreed.

According to the findings in the study most of the respondents hold the view that Ensuring that the library is well stocked is essential in ensuring that leaner’s performance in primary schools is enhanced, 70% strongly agreed and 20% agreed , this indicates that most of the respondents hold the view.

The study indicates that Exposing pupil to books for reading is essential in ensuring that pupils perform well in academics this was supported by 55% of the respondents, 35% agreed and only 5% disagreed and only the remaining 5% strongly disagreed.

According to the results in the study Supporting pupils with disabilities is essential in ensuring that leaner’s performance is greatly enhanced, this was supported by 60% of the respondents and none of the respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed.

According to the findings in the study most of the respondents assert that Provision of text books to pupils is imperative in improving the performance of pupils in primary schools 65% of the respondents strongly agreed and none of the respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed.

CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

5.0 Introduction

The study aimed at establishing causes of poor performance in mathematics in primary schools in Busana Sub County. The study was guided by research objectives and the researcher summarized the findings in consistence to the research objectives.

5.1 Discussion of findings

5.1.1 Showing whether the teaching and learning environment is conducive for effective teaching and learning to take place.

The results in the study shows there are not enough desks in class rooms, this is also in line with Chonjo et al, (1996)  the learning environment includes all the facilities, infrastructure available at the place where the school is located and all that can be found within the school surroundings. For the case of this study, the learning environment refers to the physical location, teaching delivery as well as approaches to learning whereas the term infrastructure is used to refer to things such as classrooms, furniture, laboratory and the library.

The results in the study indicates that lack of classrooms in schools affects performance, this is also in line with Butts, (1977) who indicates that performance is the accomplishment of a given task measured against preset standards of accuracy, completeness, cost and speed. Education performance is deemed to be the fulfillment of an objective in a manner that ensures that the performer has attained the set goals in the given level of education. Performance in education is always accompanied by an academic certificate to show that the performer has successfully completed the grade or course and has attained the stated grades.

According to the findings in the study pupils who study in rural school perform poorly this shows that there is high level of poor performance in rural schools this view was also shared by Eric, S. (2005) who in his article analyzed the role of the supportive school environment in promoting academic success postulates that the school environment has broad influence on students’ learning and growth, including a significant aspect of their social, emotional and ethical development he further asserts that pupils in rural schools normally face hardship with education which leads to poor performance in schools, such hardship in Ugandan setting include long distance to school and lack of school meals in most of the rural schools.

The results in the study further states that lack of classrooms in schools affects performance this results is also shared by Megan (2002), who states that schools must have classrooms which are well equipped to enable a safe learning environment for the pupils  he also further notes that, A positive school climate results in positive outcomes for pupils in school.

Environmental surrounding affects performance of pupils in schools this view is also shared by Center for Social and Emotional Education, (2005), who states that positive school environment is essential in enhancing performance of pupils in schools, they further assert that a positive school climate results in positive outcomes for school personnel as well, Characteristics of school climate, especially trust, respect, mutual obligation and concern for others’ welfare, can have powerful effects on educators’ and learners’ interpersonal relationships .

The study indicates that 65% of the respondents hold the view that Mathematics facilities are not available  , 35% of the respondents also support the view, while 5% were neutral and none of the respondents was neutral.

The results in the study indicates that there are no computers in school this is also in line with (Freiberg, 2010) who indicates that schools with good environmental surrounding achieve better performance among pupils this helps in enhancing better performance among pupils this was also stated by who further stated that Safe, collaborative learning communities where students feel safe and supported report increased teacher morale, job satisfaction, and better performance among pupils. The interaction of various characteristics of school and classroom climate can create a fabric of support that enables all members of the school community not only to learn but also to teach at optimum levels, leading to better performance among pupils in the school.

The study indicates that schools with good facilities needed achieve good performance among pupils this was also further stated by (Singh, 2006) who stated that  a negative school climate interferes with learning and development. Organizational climate is assumed to have some effect upon the success of a school in accomplishing its objectives . Various studies documented that students in schools with a better school climate have higher achievement and better socio emotional health.

5.1.2 Difficulties faced by teachers and pupils in the teaching and learning of mathematics subjects in primary schools.

The findings in the study shows Pupils who stay in towns perform, this is also in line with Oworye, J.S. (2011) showed that there is a significant difference between the academic achievement of students in rural and urban primary schools. To him, the geographical location of schools has a significant influence on the academic achievement of students. Also he pointed out that uneven distribution of resources, poor school mapping, facilities, problem of qualified teachers refusing appointment or not willing to perform well in isolated villages, lack of good road, poor communication, and nonchalant attitude of some communities to school among others are some of the factors contributed to a wide gap between rural and urban primary schools, this has therefore made pupils in poor schools perform poorly.

The findings in the study indicates the living conditions of pupils affects their academic performance, this is also in line with Vimala, A. (2012) who conducted a research on the school environment and academic achievement of standard six students, the results indicates that the living conditions of pupils has an influence into the academic performance of pupils, he also further stated that urban students have better school environment than the rural students. The urban students are having a stressful environment in their day life very much because they are living in the mechanical and hurry burry life. So they feel school environment is not very convenient for their studies. Therefore, school environment enriched with modern facilities makes the student feel comfortable in their studies that result to high academic performance.

According to the findings in the study Children from poor families perform poorly in academics this is in line with Briggs, (1980) cited in Mbai (2004) contends that poor families may contemplate bearing the cost of sending their children to school but might abandon the whole exercise when more exercises are demanded.

This is also further shared by onyango, (2000) who stated that that parental socio-economic background influences their children’s participation in education. This is especially so for the developing countries where children of the poor families are not provided with adequate educational materials and most are not apt to enroll in school if enrolled, they are more likely to drop out of school than children who are from better-off families.

5.1.3 The solutions to enhance better performance in mathematics

Encouraging reading culture among pupils enhances better performance among them this is also in line with Farrant (1997), who states that Exposure to books, the first characteristic of an early reading environment is the availability of books and the regular modelling of reading, emphasized that the best way of promoting reading is the use of informal methods of reading rather than formal methods. He further noted that informal methods stimulate a desire in the child to read before trying to teach him to read. He noted that this was done through storytelling and reading by the teacher and by consulting books to find out things so that children could associate books with pleasure and usefulness.

According to the Ensuring that the library is well stocked is essential in ensuring that leaner’s performance in primary schools is enhanced this is also in line with Indeed Gibson (2004) pointed out that for pupils to be encouraged to read they should be allowed to choose the books they would like to read, to read books with lots of pictures in them, to read for contests, to have a classroom library and to have an author read to them at school. Once pupils were exposed to different practices of reading and reading materials they were likely to broaden their imagination and engage in the practice of regular reading.

The study indicates that Exposing pupil to books for reading is essential in ensuring that pupils perform well in academics this was supported by Beers (1996) who states that  access to text would encourage reading. A starting point is the provision of classroom libraries to the pupils to expose them to a wide range of books, magazines and other print materials in a variety of genres and at various levels of difficulty. Through such activities pupils were likely to become more exposed and encouraged to develop a culture of reading.

The results in the study indicates that supporting pupils with disabilities is essential in ensuring that leaner’s performance is greatly enhanced this is also in line with Ssekamwa, (1999), who states that Provision of support to pupils with disabilities to enhance their performance in both rural and urban areas, for example in rural areas pupils with disability donot get enough support interms of infrastructural support this has affected their ability to stay in schools, One of the paramount motives in implementing UPE programme in Uganda was to make primary school education accessible to all and pupil’s with disabilities were encouraged to join the mainstream schools.

According to the findings in the study most of the respondents assert that Provision of text books to pupils is imperative in improving the performance of pupils in primary schools, This is also in line with Bategeka and Okurut (2006), who states that In order to improve the quality of primary education, the government has devoted some resources to procure some textbooks and construct some classrooms. The increase in education inputs explains the gradual improvement of some education quality indicators from the time UPE was introduced. Nevertheless, these improvements have not always translated into better outputs and outcomes of UPE programme education as evident in the results of a National Assessment of primary education Performance taken between 1996 and 2000, that education performance in terms of pupil’s’ numeric, reading, science, social studies knowledge and skills have deteriorated following the introduction of UPE programme.

5.2 Conclusion

The results indicates that there is high level of poor performance in mathematics  this has been due to lack of the necessary facilities in place, lack of text books and lack of desks, Schools with good environmental surrounding achieve better performance among pupils this helps in enhancing better performance among pupils in schools.

The study further indicates that schools with good facilities achieve good performance among pupils this is because such schools have well stocked library and classrooms with seats which motivated pupils to study and therefore enhanced their performance in schools.

5.3 Recommendations

The study recommends that pupils should be Encouraged to embrace reading culture so that they are able to read books and perform well in mathematics, the study further recommends that the government should provide text books to rural schools and stock their libraries with enough books to encourage the pupils to read and enhance their performance.

The study recommends that the government should increase on investments in the schools in rural areas to enable better performance; some of these investments should include construction of classrooms in schools, increase in Facilities for learning, establishments of better educational environment for learning among the schools.  The study also recommends that schools have better facilities needed for better performance; the study further recommends that the government should give more funding to the rural schools because of the poor performance in these schools. The parents should also provide the different needs of pupils in schools and help in improving the living conditions of the people in the rural areas, children from poor families should be provided with scholastic material so that they are able to perform well.

The study further recommends that parents should Expose their pupils to books for reading this will enable them adopt the reading culture which will help in enabling them achieve better performance.

5.4 Areas for further studies

The study also recommends the following areas of further study;

• The factors for enhancing performance of leaner’s in primary schools
• Academic achievement and learner’s competition on the job market

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