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Relationships of some socio-personal factors to mathematics achievement of secondary school and university students in Bophuthatswana

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Abstract

Poor matriculation mathematics results in Bophuthatswana led us to make exploratory efforts to identify possible non-pedagogical factors responsible for such results. Two small scale studies were carried out to examine relationships of socio-personal variables to mathematics achievement. Study 1 looked into the impact of socioeconomic background, school alienation, sex, self-concept and attitude toward mathematics on mathematics performances of secondary school pupils, while study 2 was aimed at examining relationships of dogmatism and mathematics anxiety to mathematics achievement of first-year university students. The data of these two studies invite the attention of mathematics educators to the importance of attitude toward mathematics, mathematics anxiety, and dogmatism in mathematics achievement of Bophuthatswana secondary school and university students.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Foundations of Education, University of Bophuthatswana, Mmabatho 8681, Private Bag X2046, Bophuthatswana, Southern Africa

    Muhammad Maqsud & Chaudhry M. Khalique

  2. Department of Mathematics, University of Bophuthatswana, Mmabatho 8681, Southern Africa

    Muhammad Maqsud & Chaudhry M. Khalique

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  1. Muhammad Maqsud
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  2. Chaudhry M. Khalique
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Maqsud, M., Khalique, C.M. Relationships of some socio-personal factors to mathematics achievement of secondary school and university students in Bophuthatswana. Educ Stud Math 22, 377–390 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00369296

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