Title:
MATH-PHOBIA AND MATHEMATICAL PERFORMANCE CHALLENGES, A LINGUISTIC RAMIFICATION OF COLONIZED NATIONS OF AFRICA: EVIDENCE FROM GHANA

Authors:
Ezekiel Nibenong Seudib*, Stephen Adjei Kwasi and Felix Tengan Dassah

Abstract:
The broad objective of the study was to establish math-phobia and mathematical performance challenges, as a ramification of linguistic of nations within Africa which were once colonized. The convenience sampling technique of data collection was used to select 120 students, in other to obtain the required data for the study. The major instruments that were used included questionnaire and class test on mathematical word problems and mathematics involving basic operators (i.e. plus, minus, division, multiplication, addition signs etc.). The data collected were analyzed using the ‘Statistical Product and Service Solution’ version 24 (SPSS) together with Microsoft excel. The findings from the research concluded that, the mean score of students in traditional mathematics (mathematics involving basic operators) was higher than that of the mean score of students in mathematical word problems in English at a significant mean difference. It was also established that there was a statistically significant correlation between the two variables, implying that instructional linguistic has an effect on the performance of students in mathematics. It was further established that students found it difficult to interpret and translate mathematical word problems written in English Language. The study finally recognized that students preferred to be taught in English Language but be interpreted to in their home language (Twi). Therefore, it is recommended that teachers who share with students the same home language should teach them in their home language or at least interpret vocabularies and terminologies that are often used for setting mathematics questions to students in their home language