Strategies mathematics teachers employ in motivating their students in learning mathematics

Abstract

Motivation in educational institutions is one of the issues to be taken in to consideration in other to realize the goals and objectives of education in any country. This study focused on the strategies mathematics teachers employ to motivate their students in classroom settings. The study area was Nkawie Municipal district in the Ashanti region of Ghana. The study respondents from the district involved teachers who were in the Senior High School (SHS) specifically Nkawie Senior/Technical School, Toase Senior High School and Mpasatia SHS. Interviews and questionnaires were used to solicit information from 200 teachers in three Senior High Schools at Nkawie Municipal. Quantitative analysis was done using mean and standard deviation, and regression analysis to analyze the respondents’ responses to the questions for the study. Both teachers’ and students’ level of motivation in teaching and learning of mathematics were positive and high from the descriptive statistics. Among these strategies includes providing room for open exchange of ideas, accepting mistakes as normal part of learning, and creating encouraging and supporting environment for students to learn and grow. The study suggested that teachers should be supported academically to acquire adequate mastery of subject matter and classroom management to help them teach and use appropriate teaching methodologies and classroom management techniques. The Study recommends also that mathematics teachers should manage their classroom environment effectively and focused on discipline.