Investigating the Correlation between Class Attendance and Mathematics Performance among Junior Secondary School Students in Bayelsa State

Abstract

The research investigated how student attendance in Mathematics is related to their academic performance. Given the current worries about educational results in Nigeria, this investigation is especially important as Mathematics is commonly seen as a difficult topic for students. This research utilized a descriptive survey design. The study focuses on all JSS 2 students in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Nigeria. 267 JSS 2 students were randomly chosen from five secondary schools in Sagbama Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, Nigeria for the sample. Two instruments were utilized in gathering data for this research: a roster documenting attendance and a set of 20 multiple-choice questions on Mathematics. The Mathematics test was constructed by the researcher, and validated by two experts in Mathematics, and Educational Measurement and Evaluation. The reliability of the Mathematics questions was determined using the Cronbach alpha technique, resulting in a reliability coefficient of 0.76, indicating that the Mathematics test is dependable. The analysis of the data was performed with SPSS version 22.0, utilizing descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) to address the research questions and inferential statistics (Pearson Product Moment Correlation) to test the hypothesis at a significance level of 0.05. The research discovered, among other things, that there is a strong positive correlation between attending classes and academic performance in Mathematics for junior secondary school students in Sagbama Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. The study recommends that Mathematics teachers should utilize various teaching methods to increase student participation in class, in order to boost their Mathematics achievement.