Experiences of secondary school female students help-seeking in learning mathematics in Tanzania: A case of two public secondary schools in Morogoro Municipality
Date
2020
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Mzumbe University
Abstract
The study explored the experiences of secondary school female students in seeking help in learning mathematics in Tanzania. Specifically, the study intended to: determine the mechanisms adopted by female secondary school students in help seeking for learning mathematics in the selected schools, determine incidences lived by the secondary school female students in the course of seeking help from other people for learning mathematics, assess the effects of a help-seeking strategy of learning mathematics among female secondary school students, analyze the best ways of using a help-seeking strategy for learning mathematics to secondary school female students. The study employed a mixed research approach including both qualitative and quantitative aspects. Morogoro Municipal Council was used as a case study; whereby, about 41 respondents were involved in a sample that was selected through purposive and simple random sampling. Data were generated through questionnaires, interview and field observation from the key informants and analyzed by using content analysis (thematic analysis) as well as a descriptive statistical method by using statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS) version 20 The findings revealed that female students used mechanisms like tuition; seek help from teachers and male students as well as using tuition classes as a strategy for seeking help in learning mathematics. The experiences that secondary school female students pass through include sexual harassment or unwelcome sexual advances in return for help, and pay for money and favouritism. Besides, others are rejected something which Denny them the opportunity to learn the subject, a situation which contributes much to their poor performance in mathematics. With such experiences, female students lack motivation in learning some subjects like mathematics. It was suggested that female students should be more firm, confident and participatory in classes for them to learn perfectly in learning mathematics. The study recommends that effective learning of Mathematics to female secondary school students should involve a collaborative effort. There is a need to establish Mathematics clubs, remedial classes and changing the perceptions of people and students in the learning of Mathematics to female students
Description
A dissertation submitted in partial to fulfilment of the requirements for award of the Degree of Master of Arts in Education (MAED) of the Mzumbe University
Keywords
Learning mathematics in Tanzania, Adopted female secondary school students, Seeking strategy of learning mathematics
Citation
APA