PARENT-TEACHER PARTNERSHIP, STUDENT INTEREST AND ENGAGEMENT AS DETERMINANTS OF ACHIEVEMENT IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS IN OYO STATE

Abstract

Mathematics is a requirement for studying science-based courses in tertiary institutions. In spite of its importance, the trend of performance in external examinations in the subject is fluctuating. Efforts directed towards explaining the inconsistent performance by previous studies had not yielded the desired result. However, the extent of Parent-Teacher Partnership (PTP) coupled with some parent, teacher and student variables in a variance-based second order Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) context to predict Mathematics achievement has not been explored. A 14-variable model consisting of PTP (knowledge, attitude and practice), teacher (qualification and mastery of Mathematics content), parent (qualification, occupation and family size), student (interest and academic engagement) and Mathematics achievement was therefore developed and validated.

Social Cognitive Theory served as the framework and ex-post facto type of non-experimental design was adopted. Stratified random sampling procedure was used to select one rural and three urban Local Governments Areas (LGAs) from each senatorial district in Oyo State. Six schools (four public and two private) were randomly selected from each LGA. The intact classes of Science, Arts and Commercial were used. Ten validated instruments, namely Teacher-PTP (Knowledge r= 0.66, Attitude r=0.94 and Practice r=0.83), Parent-PTP (Knowledge r= 0.78, Attitude r=0.94 and Practice r=0.94); Student Mathematics Interest r= (0.91), Student Academic Engagement (r=0.80), Teacher Mastery of Mathematics Content (r= 0.98) scales and Mathematics Achievement Test (r=0.88) were used. Data were analysed using second order PLS model and tested for significance at 0.05 level of significance.

Teacher-PTP, parent-PTP, student academic engagement, student mathematics interest jointly explained 14.0% variance in Mathematics achievement. Teacher qualification (β= -0.21, t=15.2); teacher mastery of Mathematics content (β= 0.15, t=10.88); parent qualification (β= 0.08, t=5.6); parent PTP (knowledge β= 0.11, t=8.11; attitude β= 0.04, t=2.35; practice β= 0.15, t=10.1); teacher PTP practice (β= 0.06, t=3.77); student Mathematics interest (β= -0.10, t=23.28) and student academic engagement (β= -0.07, t=4.62) had significant predictive strength on Mathematics achievement. The predictive relevance of Teacher-PTP (knowledge Q2=0.01, attitude Q2=0.07 and practice Q2=0.07); parent-PTP (knowledge Q2=0.01, attitude Q2=0.08 and practice Q2=0.08); student academic engagement (Q2=0.23) and student mathematics interest (Q2=0.02) on Mathematics achievement were all acceptable. Teacher mastery of Mathematics content (f2=0.03); teacher qualification (f2=0.05) and parent PTP practice (f2=0.02) had individualised effects on Mathematics achievement. The fit indices of SRMR=0.01, NFI=0.99 and RMStheta=0.1, indicative of good fit model, were established. Moreover, 57.0% of the causal effects in the structural model were direct effects, while 43.0% were indirect effects.

More than the knowledge of parent-teacher partnership, a good attitude and the practise of it yielded better Mathematics achievement of students in Oyo State. Therefore, parents should partner with teachers to enhance the Mathematics achievement of their wards.