Metacognition And Mathematics Anxiety As Predictors Of Mathematics Test Performance Among Secondary School Students In Kakamega County, Kenya
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Date
2025-06
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Students’ inability to perform well in mathematics has been a concern the world over. Not all factors related to this inability have been exhaustively investigated. Poor mathematics performance in Kakamega County may have made most students miss out on highly scientific courses during university selection. This may limit the goal of Kenya becoming an industrialized country as envisaged in the country’s vision 2030 goals. The poor performance may be due to learners’ lack of metacognitive abilities as well as anxiety experienced during mathematics exams. This study sought to examine how metacognition and mathematics anxiety predict mathematics test performance. Differences in metacognition and mathematics anxiety due to gender and age were also tested. Flavell’s Metacognition Theory (1979) and Irwin Sarason’s Cognitive Interference Theory (1988) guided the study. The study adopted a predictive correlation design. The study was conducted in Kakamega County, Kenya. Purposive, stratified and simple random sampling was used to select a sample size of 260 students (140 boys and 120 girls) from six schools. Data was collected using three instruments; Mathematics test exercise, Metacognitive Awareness Inventory for students (Schoenfeld, 1985) and Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale for students (Mandlar & Sarazon, 1878). To check and enhance validity and reliability of the research instruments, a sample size of 40 students (15% of the actual sample) from one school in Kakamega County which was excluded in the final study was used for the pilot study. Quantitative data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) while qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings showed that there was positive and significant relationship between metacognition and mathematics test performance (r (258) = .47, p˂ .05), while there was negative and significant relationship between mathematics anxiety and mathematics test performance (r (258) = -.565, p ˂.05). Metacognitive strategy use showed a higher predictive value for mathematics test performance than metacognitive awareness. There were no significant gender differences in metacognition (t = 1.367, df = 258, p = .17). and mathematics anxiety (t = 1.27, df =258, p = .21). Significant differences in metacognition (F = 6.7, df = 2, p = .02) and mathematics anxiety (F = 7.2, df = 2, p = .001) due to age was found favoring older students (≥ 18.1 years category). Metacognitive strategy use combined with low mathematics anxiety had significant values for high performance in mathematics test. Significant differences were found among students from different types of schools in terms of their metacognition, mathematics anxiety and mathematics test performance. Overall, the findings upheld the guiding theories of the study that had indicated that when students are metacognitively aware of strategies to use and when they have no or low anxiety towards mathematics, they are likely to perform well in mathematics test. Recommendations from the findings were; including the teaching of metacognition in mathematics curriculum, students be assisted in building up confidence towards mathematics to reduce the anxiety levels, and that further studies use different study design apart from correlational studies to investigate the same variables.
Description
A Thesis Submitted In Partial Fulfillment Of The Requirements For The Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy In Educational Psychology, Kenyatta University.
Supervisors:
1.Elizabeth Mwaniki
2.Peter Mwaura