Examination of causes and Effects of Anxiety on Secondary School Students’ Poor Academic Performance in Mathematics

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the causes of anxiety on secondary school students’ academic performance in mathematics in Karu Local government Area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. It is incontrovertible that mathematics is seen as difficult subject and as a situation that makes individual appears stupid and dumb. Parents, teachers and some significant people are attributing factor to this ugly experience. But sometimes, they indicate that mathematics skills are very significant for future success. Survey research design was employed for the study. In order to provide a focus in the study, two research questions were stated. Students questionnaire was used to collect the data from the sampled of one hundred and eighty students (180). Simple percentage analysis was used to determine the percentage response. The result of analysis revealed that student's poor performance in mathematics is militated by anxiety. It also revealed that the students’ anxiety in mathematics was caused by mathematics teachers, parents, boredom and learning difficulty, society, lack of adequate resources, test and examination, lack of confidence towards mathematics, altogether with students themselves. Therefore, some recommendations for possible solution were made