PERCEPTION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ON THE CAUSE OF MATHEMATICS ANXIETY

This study examined the perception of secondary school students on the causes of mathematics anxiety in Ovia North East Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria. The research was carried out to identify the major factors responsible for students’ fear and negative attitude towards mathematics, considering the importance of the subject in academic and career development. The study was guided by specific research questions aimed at understanding how personal experiences, environmental Factors and cognitive Factors contribute to mathematics anxiety among students. The work also highlighted the need to address mathematics anxiety due to its impact on students’ performance and overall learning outcomes. The study comprises of six research questions. The study is delimited to students in the secondary school system. The study adopted a descriptive survey reasearch design. The population consisted of 150 respondent from five(5) secondary school in the aforementioned local government area and a structured questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select the respondents, while the data collected were analyzed using frequency counts, mean scores, and standard deviation. The methodological
approach enabled the researcher to determine students’ perceptions based on their responses and to identify the most common causes of mathematics anxiety among them. The findings of the study revealed that personal, environmental and cognitive Factors
contributed to mathematics anxiety among secondary school students. It was concluded that meaningful interventions are needed to reduce anxiety and improve students’ learning experiences. The study recommended that schools provide supportive learning environments, teachers adopt student-friendly instructional strategies, students be encouraged to build confidence through consistent practice, and parents offer positive reinforcement rather than pressure. These measures will collectively help minimize mathematics anxiety and enhance students’ academic performance.