ABSTRACT

This study investigated the relationship among of gender, attitude and study habits on mathematics achievement of senior secondary school students in Umuahia Education Zone, Abia State. It adopted correlational research design. A sample size of two hundred (94 males and106 females) students was drawn from the selected public secondary schools in Umuahia education zone. The instruments used for data collection were questionnaire titled “Questionnaire on Gender, Attitude and Study Habits” (QGASH) and students achievement test title “mathematics achievement tests” (MAT). The questionnaire and achievements test comprised of 20 items each. Five research questions and five hypotheses guided the study. The validity of instrument was established by three experts, two from mathematics education and one from measurement and evaluation unit of science education of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. Test-retest and Pearson Product Moment Correlation were used for reliability of the instruments. The data was captured and arranged with the used of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). Mean and standard deviation were used in answering the research questions while Pearson product-moment correlation was used in testing null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed that male students performed significantly higher in mathematics achievement than the female students. There was a strong positive correlation between students’ study habit and achievement in mathematics which was statistically significant. A moderate positive correlation exists between attitude and achievement in mathematics which was statistically significant.  There is no significant relationship between students’ study habit and achievement based on gender. Based on the implications, it was recommended that students should be encouraged to approach mathematics as any other subject, parents are encouraged to provide the right education they can afford for their children irrespective of gender. Group guidance should be organized in schools by professional counselors in order to create awareness on how students can develop effective study habits which could lead to good academic achievement in mathematics, teachers and parents should try and build self-confidence in their student and wards respectively as it could improve their attitude towards mathematics.