DEMYSTIFYING THE PHOBIA OF MATHEMATICS

Abstract

The teaching and learning of Mathematics must focus on the learners’ background hence their level of attention and understanding, curiosity, interest, motivation and metacognition. Thus, progress can be made in mastering Mathematics by the learners. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of 2019 revealed that 1.58 million children in Nigeria sat for West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in government schools in 2018 in contrast with 1.56 million candidates recorded in 2017, out of which 756,726 of the results revealed 5 credits and above including Mathematics and English Language thus represents 48.15 percent of the results of that year. The report also shows that one hundred and nine thousand, seven hundred and eight (109, 798) students were presented for WAEC in government schools in 2018 as against 133,258 candidates in 2017. These figures show that 37,184 of the candidates that sat for the examinations had 5 credits with Mathematics and English Language inclusive, thus the percentage represents 33.81 percent. Therefore, this journal examines the phobia of Mathematics using empirical method of research anchored on structural functional theory. The study found out that children develop the phobia from home, the teaching method and emphasis on theoretical rather than practical in the curriculum, inadequate budget for education in the country are among other reasons hence the paper suggested that parents should inculcate the interest of mathematics in their wards right from home because it makes one to work smarter, teachers should device the simplest and easiest ways of making the learner to understand Mathematics and government should collaborate with the Science Teachers Association (STAN) and the National Mathematical Centre, Abuja in training and retraining Mathematics teachers in Nigeria, government should dedicate 26 percent of its budget to education with science and technology as a priority among other recommendations