Causes of low mathematics’ achievement in secondary schools case study newly enrolled students at the University of Bakht Alruda

Khalafalla Ahmed Mohamed Arabi

Professor of Econometrics, University of Bakht Erruda, Sudan

E-mail: arabi@yahoo.com.   Mobile: (+249) 11811733, Fax (+249) 127156425, P.O.Box1311

Accepted 03 December, 2012

Abstract

This research aims to indentify factors that cause low achievement in mathematics in secondary schools. Data was collected from three sources; newly enrolled Students at the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Studies of University of Bakht Alruda, mathematics teachers and National Curriculums Centre in Alduwaim Town.  Logistic Regression was used to analyze the data. Teachers pointed out that factors behind low achievement in mathematics are lack of basic elements of mathematics; most of mathematics teachers have low work experience, in addition to their insufficient number, Students showed that gender of mathematics teacher at the third grade of the secondary school; substance of mathematics curriculum (doze), type of admission, the differences in the mathematics curriculums between academic and technical schools and its importance  for  science, literature, and technical specialization; and finally  the number of time the student sat for the exam, were the main factors. The National Centre views low achievement is a result of government policies of which restructuring the general education and devote National Centre’s responsibilities to state and local authorities.

Keywords: basics, achievement, training, gender, types of admission, policies