Secondary school mathematics and entrance into the STEM professions: a longitudinal study

This study sought to identify the competency capacity building needs of teachers of agricultural science in the utilization of school farm for skill acquisition among secondary school students in Ondo State, Nigeria). Four research questions guided the study. The study adopted the survey research design. The population used was 422, made up of teachers of agricultural science in senior secondary schools in Ondo State and 46 lecturers of agricultural education in tertiary institutions in Ondo and Ekiti States. The entire population was used for the study, hence there was no sampling. A - 33 competency items questionnaire was developed and used for data collection. The questionnaire was validated by three experts from the Department of Vocational Teachers Education (Agricultural Education Unit), University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Cronbach alpha reliability method was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument. A reliability coefficient of 0.81 was obtained. 422 copies of the questionnaire were administered on the respondents and 406 copies were retrieved and analyzed using weighted mean and improvement need index (INI) to answer the research questions. It was found out that teachers of agricultural science in Ondo State needed capacity building in all the 33 competency items identified in the following areas, planning and organizing school farm, implementing school farm practical, coordinating and evaluating school farm practical. It was recommended, among others, that the competencies identified in this study should be utilized in organizing retraining programmes inform of seminars, workshop or long vacation courses for teachers of agricultural science in secondary schools in all states of the federation.

Aim: This study examined pedagogy and subject content needs for Professional Development (PD) to improve teachers’ skills in teaching science in secondary schools in Mbeya, Tanzania.
 Study Design: The study employed a quantitative research approach and cross-sectional survey design.
 Methodology: The main instrument used for the study was questionnaire. In this study, schools were randomly selected, and 256 respondents, science teachers were selected through stratified sampling technique. The data collected were analyzed quantitatively.
 Results: Science teachers need Professional Development (PD) in Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), masterly of science subject contents and technological skills of modern teaching. There was no significant difference in the mean scores for components of pedagogy knowledge between teachers who teach math subject and those who teach physics, chemistry and biology at using independent samples t-test. Teachers need of PD in subject content in topics were as follows: accounts (61.7%), genetics (46.2%), electromagnetism (44.2%), electronics (40.4%), circles and the Earth as a sphere (29.6%), statistics and probability (28.4%), inorganic chemistry (25%), and ionic theory and electrolysis (24.1%).
 Conclusion: Science and mathematics teachers in Secondary schools need PD intervention in the subject content of science subjects.

Qatar has gone through an educational reform in year 2000; its educational and particularly schooling system went through a major overhaul from K-12 reaching higher education providers. The major reasons for the educational reform were to increase the level of student academic achievement. Concomitantly, the rapid growth of Qatar's economy over recent decades has created a situation in which the demand for skilled labor far exceeded the supply of qualified Qatari nationals. The Qatar National Development Plan identified acute needs for highly educated and skilled Qatari nationals in the areas of health and biomedical sciences, engineering, energy and environment, and computer and information technology (Qatar National Development Strategy, 2011). Two significant higher education providers' serve post-secondary students, being Qatar University (QU) and American Branch Universities at the Qatar Foundation have grown tremendously over the years. Understanding the factors that affect Qatari students' post-secondary persistence and achievement is crucial for achieving the country's human capital growth. Tinto (1975) deposited his theory about student integration into the academic and social system of the higher education providers, Tinto suggested a multidimensional component which underlined the higher education community engaging students in all aspects of higher education including academic and non-academic. Tinto's theory basically hypothesizes that persistence is determined by the match between an individual's motivation and academic ability and the institution's academic and social characteristics. A second and major model is Bean's (1986) student's intention to stay or leave into the attrition model, derived from psychological theories and based on attitudinal research of Ajzen and Fishbein (1972) which later developed by Bentler and Speckart (1981). Key ideas from the model suggest that a strong association was related to intentions and behaviors and that an undergraduate student decision to persist or dropout was strongly related to affect. One conclusion about student engagement was students need to be satisfied and academically prepared especially those in the first years to achieve success and maintain continuous enrollment in higher education (Astin, 1985; Tinto, 2005; Kuh, 2001, 2007). Tinto's integration theory has received considerable validation of non-academic factors and impacting student continuation (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1977; Terenzini & Pascarella, 1977; Chapman & Pscarella, 1983; Pascarella & Chapman, 1983). The latter model has received empirical validation and support based on a large number of studies that looked at background information as the socioeconomic levels of students' families and its effect on postsecondary continuation in higher education (Astin & Oseguera, 2004; Sewell & Shah, 1968). With the large number of studies coming from the United States (US) and other western countries (Kenny & Stryker, 1994; Dekker & Fischer, 2008) have underlined the differences on how students develop and internalize beliefs, needs, and wants that in turn impact academic motivation to persist and succeed in higher education. While few studies have emerged from the Middle East, the recent establishment of the Middle East and North Africa Association of Institutional Research has prompted many researchers in this area to seek the understanding and experiences of students in higher education. In Qatar for instance, the first year experience study and National Association of Colleges and Employers Survey have just recently been implemented at Qatar's national public university. Faced with the danger of students dropping out from the university, and a large number of students who are likely to remain in the first years for longer years reflects the dangers of higher education being a bottleneck to economic development and human resource development (Qatar University Fact Book, 2011). One clear indication and dangers of Higher education completion rates as anywhere in the world is disparaging. It has been reported that in the US for instance 55% of undergraduates who begin study at a 4-year institution complete a degree at that same institution within 6 years of their initial enrollment and another 7% completed baccalaureate degrees within six years after attending two or more institutions (Lotkowski, Robbins & Noeth, 2004; Kuh, Kinzie, Buckley, Bridges, & Hayek, 2007). Pascarella (1985) and Adelman (2006) came to the conclusion that continuous enrollment is the most powerful variable in explaining degree completion and time to degree. There are several factors academic and non-academic likely to affect students as they make the transition to post-secondary institutions. Many students may experience stress, anxiety, withdrawal, and even depression (Robbins, Lauver, Le, Davis, Langley & Carlstrom, 2004; DeStefano, Mellott & Peterson, 2001; Feldt, Graham, & Dew, 2011; Wie, l & Zakalik, 2005). There are also a variety of non-academic challenges that have bearing on the likelihood on academic persistence and success of students. A fairly large body of research undertaken in a number of countries have examined the experiences of international students, and compared their experiences to those students of native to the host country. Academic factors (i.e., secondary preparation) appear to influence postsecondary success (see Robbins, Lauver, Le, Davis, Langley & Carlstrom, 2004). But also a range of non-academic factors, influenced by culture and values, thus may contribute to challenges faced by students in higher education in their local context. This study attempts to address Qatari student challenges in their lives in the higher education in Qatar. The study draws on student, perceptions, beliefs, outlook and context; we approach the study through grounded means by leading interview questions through exploration and probing. The approach is grounded in ways that no specific theory drives the questions rather the responses from the interview often call upon theory to justify the findings. The sample will be made of 35 students who were interviewed through probing and questioning techniques. The questions will probe and guide students with converging responses leading to themes. The long-term goal of this line of research is to provide the Qatari society with mush needed scientific information regarding the challenges that its students face in completing their university education at the competence needed to build Qatar's human capital to support its rapidly expanding economy. Finally, we believe that is a broader regional need for specific and focued information on this topic as the study findings are directly applicable to students from several other countries in the region. Reference Adelman, C. (2006). The Toolbox Revisited: Path to Degree Completion From High School Through College: U.S. Department of Education. Ajzen, L., & Fishbein, M. (1972). Attitudes and normative beliefs as factors influencing behavioral intentions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 21(2), 1–9. Astin, A. W. (1984). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of college student personnel, 25(4), 297–308. Astin, A., & Oseguera, L. (2004). The declining” equity” of American higher education. The Review of Higher Education, 27, 321–341. Bentler, P., M. & Speckart, G. (1981). Attitudes “cause” behaviors: A structural equation analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 40(2), 226–238. Chapman, D., W., & Pscarella, E., T. (1983). Predictors of academic and social integration of college students. Research in Higher Education, 19, 295–322. Dekker, S. & Fischer, R. (2008). Cultural differences in academic motivation goals: A meta-analysis across 13 societies. Journal of Educational Research, 102(2), 99–110. DeStefano, T.J., Mellott, R.N., & Peterson, J.D., (2004). A preliminary assessment of the impact of counseling on student adjustment to college. Journal of College Counseling, 4, 113–121. Kenny, M. E. & Stryker, S. (1994). Social Network Characteristics of White, African-American, Asian and Latino/a College Students and College Adjustment: A Longitudinal Study. Kuh, G. (2001). Assessing what really matters to student learning: Inside the national survey of student engagement. Change, 33(3), 10–17. Kuh, G. (2007). What student engagement data tell us about college readiness. Association of American College and Universities (AAC&U).Peer Review, 9(1), 4–8. Retrieved June 26, 2015, from http://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/what-student-engagement-data-tell-us-about-college-readiness . Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J., Buckley, J. A., Bridges, B. K., & Hayek, J. C. (2007). Piecing Together the Student Success Puzzle: Research, Propositions, and Recommendations. ASHE Higher Education Report, Volume 32, Number 5. ASHE Higher Education Report, 32(5), 1–182. Lotkowski, V.A., Robbins, S. B. & Noeth, R. J. (2004). The role of academic and non-academic factors in improving college retention. ACT Policy Report. Qatar National Development Strategy (2011). Qatar General Secretariat for Development Planning: Doha. Pascarella, E. T. (1985). Racial Differences in Factors Associated with Bachelor's Degree Completion: A Nine-Year Follow-up. Research In Higher Education, 23(4), 351–373. Pascarella, E. & Chapman, D. (1983). A m

The education of girls and women in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) has long been thought of as very crucial for national development. This study investigated whether gender differences might occur in scores attained by Nigerian students on standard subject matter examinations for English Language, Mathematics and Biology in year 2 of Junior Secondary School and Year 2 of Senior Secondary School. Purposive sampling was used to select seven secondary schools in South-South Nigeria. Of the seven schools, four were private and three were public government secondary schools. Scores for 570 students, who were all the students who took the examinations during the 2003-2014 year formed the data for this study. To assess if gender differences exist in students’ examination performances, mean examination scores and standard deviations for males and females were calculated separately within each of the three content areas, as well as means and standard deviations for each gender by school level (Junior Secondary School or Senior Secondary School ) within the content areas. Female students performed significantly higher than male students in English Language. At the junior level, female Mathematics scores are only marginally significantly better; while at the senior level, male scores are somewhat (but not significantly) better than female scores. At the junior secondary level female scores in Biology were significantly higher but at the senior secondary school level, the difference was not statistically significant Based on these findings, recommendations were made to ensure the performance of both sexes.

This study aimed to explore the effect of teachers’ motivation on students’ academic performance in mathematics in public lower day secondary schools in Rwanda, specifically the case of Kirehe district. The study had three specific objectives which were to determine the influence of recognition and rewards of teachers on students’ academic performance in mathematics in public lower day secondary schools in Kirehe District, to determine the influence of in-service training of teachers in improving academic performance of students in mathematics in public lower day secondary schools in Kirehe District, to investigate the influence of teachers’ remuneration and incentives on students’ academic performance in mathematics in public lower day secondary schools in Kirehe District. The results of this study will support the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), along with its bodies NESA and REB, which are responsible for monitoring and evaluating the academic performance of secondary schools, in making informed decisions on initiatives to address challenges faced by teachers and school management. Findings of this study will also enrich the existing knowledge and literature on teacher motivation, primarily benefiting academicians. One theoretical frame work, Self-Determination Theory underpinned and supported this research. In this research, descriptive survey design for quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis were implied. The study gathered data through questionnaires and interview guides. Specifically, the questionnaires were made for Mathematics teachers while interview guides were designed for deputy head teachers and school head teachers. The study’s target population was 348 respondents made of 232 Mathematics teachers from Public lower day secondary schools, 58 deputy head teachers and 58 school head teachers from all public lower day secondary schools in Kirehe district, Rwanda. The selection of the participants for this study employed various methods, including both simple random and purposive sampling techniques. A sample size of 186 was chosen by using Yamane formula. The quantitative and qualitative data analysis in terms of frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, correlational analysis, Regression analysis, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Regression Coefficient involved the use of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM SPSS 22.0) where each item from the questionnaires and interview guides was systematically categorized. Subsequently, the analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between students' academic performance in mathematics and teacher’s recognition and rewards (r = .901, p = .000). This suggests that when teachers are recognized and rewarded for their efforts, it positively impacts student achievement in mathematics. Additionally, a moderately strong positive correlation was found between students ‘academic performance in mathematics and in-service training of teachers (r = .701, p = .000). This implies that providing teachers with ongoing training and professional development opportunities contributes to improved student outcomes in mathematics. Finally, a moderately strong positive correlation was observed between students ‘academic performance in mathematics and teacher remuneration and incentives (r = .757, p = .000). This suggests that compensating teachers fairly and providing them with incentives can positively influence their effectiveness and, consequently, student achievement. The analysis demonstrates that all three teacher related factors: recognition and rewards, in-service training, and remuneration and incentives are significantly correlated with students' academic performance in mathematics in public lower day secondary schools in Kirehe district. To measure the results reliability, test and retest all methods were used in measurement of the reliability. The supervisor reviewed all data collection instruments items before the administration of data collection to ensure it validity. The research concluded by providing recommendations based on the findings of the study.

Incidence of NSSI rises during adolescence and peaks in young adulthood. Secondary school and university students, representing these age groups, have been the focus of research on how emotion regulation strategies impact NSSI. However, a comprehensive study of the interrelations among different symptoms is needed. Research based on network analysis, a questionnaire survey on emotion regulation strategies and NSSI was conducted with 378 secondary school students and 593 first-year university students, all of whom reported a history of engagement in NSSI. The results indicated that Cognitive reappraisal symptoms showed a positive or no correlation with NSSI, while expressive suppression symptoms demonstrated a negative or no correlation. Secondary school and university students using cognitive reappraisal or expressive suppression also tended to use the other type of emotion regulation strategy simultaneously. In secondary school NSSI groups, core symptoms were linked to cognitive reappraisal, while in university groups, they were linked to expressive suppression. Intervention targets for NSSI in secondary school students included “I keep my emotions to myself”, and for university students, “I control my emotions by not expressing them.” Research reveals a complex mechanism underlying the link between NSSI and emotion regulation strategies in university and secondary school students, offering valuable insights for promoting the psychological health of adolescents and youths.

This study aims to promote the development of vocational education in our country energetically. The analysis is followed by introducing the course of development on vocational and technical education in Britain and summarizing the successful experience of vocation in our country with strengthening the funding and legislation for the state of vocational education as well as putting forward suggestions for reform and innovation of education to improve the system of certificates.

The study explored the influence of teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching on students’ achievement, retention and attitude towards mathematics in secondary schools in Nigeria. The study was guided by three research questions and hypotheses. The study employed correlational survey research design. The population of the study comprised 3.5 million secondary school students and 100,000 mathematics teachers from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.The sample size for the study consisted of 500 secondary school students and 100 mathematics teachers, selected proportionally from each geopolitical zone.The primary research instrument for this study was a structured questionnaire designed to collect data on teachers’ MKT and students’ achievement, retention, and attitude towards mathematics. The content and construct validity of the instrument was established. The instrument had a reliability value of 0.76 determined using Cronbach alpha. Data obtained with the aid of the instrument were analysed using coefficient of determination and Pearson correlation. The results revealed significant positive relationship between the components of mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) and students’ achievement, retention and attitude towards mathematics. The study concluded that teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT)—which encompasses subject matter content knowledge (SMCK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), knowledge of learners’ learning difficulties (KLD), and understanding of learners’ misconceptions (ULM)—plays a significant role in shaping students’ achievement, retention, and attitude towards mathematics. It was recommended among others that school administrators should provide regular, targeted training programs to improve teachers’ subject matter content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and ability to address students’ misconceptions, thereby enhancing student achievement, retention, and attitudes towards mathematics.

Much of the current debate among researchers revolves around the differences on the view of mathematics in secondary schools. The present research is concerned with the issue of whether or not students’ view of mathematics in secondary schools in terms of the type of schools’ factors are different between general high schools (Sekolah Menengah Atas referred to as SMA) and vocational high schools (Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan referred to as SMK) or not in the Riau province - Indonesia. This research involved a total of 276 secondary school students, 131 students from SMA and 145 students from SMK. A survey design was employed to investigate the students’ view of mathematics among secondary school students using the questionnaire. The quantitative data was statistically analyzed using MANOVA. Findings of this study indicated that a one-way MANOVA analysis revealed a significant multivariate main effect for SMK and SMA. It was concluded that SMK had a more positive view than SMA. SMK had a higher effort, mastery of goal orientation and self-confidence. These findings imply that teacher should consider students’ view of mathematics to present the most suitable learning strategy which can be imposed for students in order to boost their mathematics achievement

Uspostavljanje modela filmske edukacije u srednjoj školi

In-School Adolescents’ Parent-Child Relationship as Predictor of Students’ Academic Achievement in Secondary Schools in Awka Education Zone

Provision of healthcare to secondary school students is paramount. However, in Kenya, this undertaking is often curtailed by inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, food insecurity, high poverty levels, and unemployment challenges. These challenges complicate the choice of a service model for managing healthcare of students in public secondary schools in Meru County -Kenya. The purpose of this study was to analyze personal medical insurance as an approach for managing students' healthcare in public secondary schools in Meru County. This study is systematic review paper where secondary sources of information were analyzed and synthesized as guided by the main theme. Documentary analysis coupled with systematic review of existing literature from reports, past studies and conference proceedings were central in forming the theoretical foundation and systematic argument developed in this paper. The study established that the adoption of personal medical insurance in secondary schools does not only affect the education outcomes, but it also enhances equity of secondary school education and leads to improved retention and completion rates of students in schools. However, its adoption in public secondary school is not widespread in Meru County, Kenya. This is attributed to shortages of infrastructures, resources, weak structures and mechanisms on health provision, and absence of policy on personal medical health insurance for students in public secondary school in Kenya. These findings raise questions on policies by Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health on provision of healthcare to students in secondary schools. Medical health insurance companies are called upon to remodel and customize their personal health insurance products to fit students in public secondary schools

Undeniably, schools play a crucial role in helping students aspire to and facilitate a successful transition to higher education through fair and equitable education, paving the way for students’ upward social mobility. However, schools may not be aspiring places for learners and may often lag behind to be fair enough by hindering learners' opportunities for optimal development, hence curbing learners’ aspirations for upward social mobility. Thus, the undergone study explored students’ Aspirations for Higher Education (AHE) 1. pervasiveness of Fair Education (FE) 2. and contributing in burgeoning students’ Social Mobility Aspirations (SMA) 3. A total of 1,039 secondary public school students participated in the study. Quantitative data were collected via a self-constructed questionnaire on three study variables. Descriptive statistical analysis involved questionnaires’ item-wise percentage analysis, mean values and standard deviation, whereas the linear regression model and Andrew Hayes PROCESS macro were exploited to observe model fit, main effects and interaction effects of study variables in SPSS. Findings highlighted the widespread nature of educational inequities manifested in teaching and learning processes. The students’ responses to Higher Education Aspirations (HEA) and Social Mobility Aspirations (SMA) were rated high. Higher Education Aspirations (HEA) significantly predicted Social Mobility Aspirations (SMA). Also, moderation analysis revealed robust main effect of Higher Education Aspirations (HEA) on Social Mobility Aspirations (SMA), as well as robust interaction effects as well as conditional effects of Fair Education (FE) between the relationship of Higher Education Aspirations (HEA) and Social Mobility Aspirations (SMA). Also, the study underscored a significant grounded phenomenon of our society, wherein, amidst adversities faced by less-privileged students’ strata enrolled in public schools, high aspirations for Higher Education and upward social mobility denotes achievement resilience and hopefulness of students for future success. Also, the study recommends serious reforms by school administration to bring about policies and shape accountability mechanism to transform public sector schools in fair and equitable learning places for students.

The present study investigates on an exploratory level the extent to which the sense of belonging that university physics students experienced in their physics classes in secondary school impacts their intention to drop out or alter their course of study in higher education. Analysing data collected between April and June 2022 among first-year physics students at 20 German universities (N = 263), we find a significant and negative effect on the part of participants’ (remembered) sense of belonging in school physics classes on their intention to drop out or change their studies. Parallel mediation analysis further reveals that this effect is fully mediated by students’ current sense of belonging to physics and their university. Notably, the indirect effect via participants’ current sense of belonging to physics is approximately four times as high as the indirect effect via university belonging. These results emphasise the importance of social embeddedness in early physics experiences on students’ academic development in higher education. Limitations of these results as well as implications regarding a potential improvement of persistence and satisfaction within physics-related higher-education programs are outlined at the end of this paper.

Peer versus expert feedback: An investigation of the quality of peer feedback among secondary school students