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An investigation into factors that influence teachers' content coverage in primary mathematics


KD Mereku

Abstract

This paper reports a survey that investigated the influence of teacher characteristics and organisational factors on teachers' coverage of the content of primary school mathematics. A questionnaire was administered to measure teachers' knowledge of mathematics and other characteristics. The chi-square (x2) test conducted on the data obtained from 137 primary school teachers in the Winneba district who participated in the survey, showed a significant difference (with x2= 4.238, p < .05) between the content coverage ratings of teachers with O' level mathematics qualification, and those without. The higher rating for coverage of topics in basic number concepts was recorded by teachers with no O' level mathematics qualification. The result suggests O' level GCE qualification in mathematics does not make any significant impact on teachers' coverage of topics in basic number concepts, which is the most covered content area in the primary mathematics curriculum. O' level GCE qualifications, on their own, lead mainly to general attainments in the subject. But, as the results have indicated, this makes very little difference in the primary teachers' content coverage, which is a good determinant of students' learning. Therefore in an educational system, like the one in Ghana, where teachers possess low teaching qualifications, it would be more useful if inservice courses are planned to increase not only the teachers' knowledge of content of mathematics, but also of their knowledge of pedagogy and learners' cognition.

African Journal of Educational Studies in Mathematics and Sciences Vol. 1, 2001: 53-72

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eISSN: 2508-1128
print ISSN: 0855-501X