**3. Methodology**

#### **3.1 Research design and justification**

The researcher adopted a qualitative case study approach. Stake [34] asserts that in a case study, the researchers use multiple data gathering techniques to get a deeper understanding and a rich description of the case. The advantages of using qualitative research are that the researcher has the first-hand experience of the participant during observation, the information can be recorded as it occurs during observation, and the researcher can control the line of questioning in an interview. Qualitative research is value-laden.

#### **3.2 Population and sampling**

The population consisted of three Mathematics teachers and nine Grade 12 learners. The study utilised non-probability sampling techniques. The purposive sampling was used to select participants who contributed to the qualitative data because of their relevant knowledge. To attain quality and reliable information, the most experienced Mathematics teachers, both general and specific to Grade 12, were selected as the appropriate sample units. The first participant, TR-1 was a female educator holding a Bachelor of Education in Mathematics teaching qualification with 23 years of experience and 16 years teaching Grade 12. TR-2, also a female educator held a Bachelor of Education Honours qualification and 17 years total teaching experience with 12 of those in Grade 12 classes. The third participant, a male TR-3, held a Bachelor of Education qualification and had 31 years of experience and 27 of them in teaching Grade 12 Mathematics.

The learners included as participants in the study were randomly selected from within the purposively selected Grade 12 group. No particular trait or demographic characteristic among the Grade 12 participants was considered as critical above the others to warrant specialized grouping. The learners were randomly selected regardless of age, gender and social status as it was deemed to be generally consistent among the likely participants and little chance of exclusion was possible given the sampling technique. For the presentation of narratives, teachers were coded using prefixes as follows: TR-1, TR-2 and TR-3 while the learners were LN-A to LN-I.

*An Investigation into the Determinants of Underperformance in Mathematics among Grade 12… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109014*

#### **3.3 Ethical approval statement**

The participants in the study were informed about the purpose and nature of the study in writing and it was stated that they had the right to choose not to take part in the study without facing any negative consequences. Guarantees were given that all information would be private and confidential. Participants gave their consent in writing.

#### **3.4 Data collection procedures**

Data were collected using one-on-one interviews and focus group discussions. According to Mentz and Wolhuter [35], an interview is a goal-directed attempt by an interviewer to obtain reliable valid measures in the form of verbal responses from one or more interviewees. The interviews were semi-structured, allowing the researcher to probe respondents' answers for clarity and more detail. The researcher conducted focus group discussions with the learners on the contributing factors that underpin under-performance in Mathematics.

#### **3.5 Data analysis**

According to Kothari [36], data analysis is a process of generating useful information from the data through tabulation, screening and coding. The process involves operations that are performed to summarise and organise the data collected from the field. Since the study involves qualitative data, the data analysis process was done through transcription and recording of participants' assertions and responses during interviews. The data analysis was inductive as there were no predetermined themes. Therefore, themes emerged from the data sets. Analysis of the qualitative data obtained was undertaken through the development of thematic focus areas which jointly provide answers to the research questions. This helped the researcher to make a description of the data collected from the field based on research objectives and to derive conclusions on what to take regarding its usefulness.

## **4. Results**

The following section provides the determinants of underperformance in Mathematics among Grade 12 learners through interviews conducted with the participants and data gathered through observations. In analysing the data, the researchers read and independently categorised responses from both the learners and their teachers. In categorising the responses, statements projecting similar ideas were grouped. Four major themes that emerged in the data analysis are used as headings to present data.

#### **4.1 School related factors**

The findings indicated that limited access to textbooks and practical learning resources was the cause of poor performance. TR-1 indicated that "*There are many reasons why learners would not perform the way that the teachers, schools and department want them to perform when it comes to Mathematics. The schools are often lacking adequately qualified and experienced teachers, textbooks, teacher resources among many* 

*other things".* Along the same sentiments, TR-2 said "*in our school, the learners and teachers do not have adequate time and material to sufficiently undertake a subject, which is as complex as Mathematics.* Similarly, TR-3 stated that *"many learners have a little or weak foundation in Mathematics. That, mixed with the limited resources and encouragement at the schools automatically means that learners will fail. There are no activities done to encourage an improved grasp of the subject.* The participants' responses to the primary question are indicative of institutional inadequacies, which have fostered environments that are non-conducive for effective teaching and learning of Mathematics and as such result in undesired outcomes. The prominent causal issues identified relate to mostly lack of resources, particularly learner textbooks and LTSM. Ultimately, the extent to which resources are availed and utilized in the schools is a determining factor in Mathematics outcomes.

Regarding inadequate resources, learners indicated their frustration of sharing textbooks. They expressed similar views as articulated, for example, LN-A indicated that *"it would be much easier to read more on the topics instead of photocopies of the homework only".* LN-C pointed out that "*having more books which are not shared, or which can be taken home to study will give us more time to practise more and more examples".* Related to this view, LN-D said "*it can be very frustrating trying your best but not doing well or not being able to do well because of shortages of books. Having all the resources I need motivates me to do better than at present".* LN-F shared the same sentiments "*some of the items needed to study Mathematics are easily available for everyone. A lot of the time during the period, especially in Grade 12, we are required to have mathematical sets with compasses, protractors and set squares. Not everyone has these and, therefore, practising at school or after school is not easy".* Notably, both from educators and learners, the data indicated that resource constraints were identified as inducing serious challenges during teaching and learning. Particularly, the unavailability of adequate textbooks, reference sources and practice material severely prejudices learners.

#### **4.2 Teacher related factors**

Data from interviewing teachers indicated under-qualified teachers, and the reluctance to accept responsibility and accountability by the appropriate teachers have largely compromised results in Mathematics. Concerning the effect on the composition of educators for Grade 12 Mathematics on learner performance, TR-1 said "*from my view, many teachers are not willing to take the responsibility which comes with teaching Grade 12 Mathematics.* Here TR-2 pointed out "*many teachers are satisfied with the qualifications which they have. Few teachers want to go for skills or content improvement. So, many teachers are using what they learnt a long time ago to teach in modern times. I do not think it works well.* Interestingly, TR-3 expressed a similar view: "*we have many young teachers in the schools taking Grade 12 classes. Many struggle to control the classes. Many of them also even struggle with content and methods because they are young and new.* The data from interviews of teachers indicated that the quality of teachers especially regarding teaching experience at Grade 12 and the reluctance towards continued skills development was noted as having negative impacts on the quality of content and relevance of teaching methods applied in classes.

#### **4.3 Learner personal factors**

The findings illustrated a picture of both teachers and learners agreeing that learners have little interest in learning in general. This further worsened their performance *An Investigation into the Determinants of Underperformance in Mathematics among Grade 12… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109014*

in Mathematics. The learner attitudes and the values which they placed upon learning were identified as being below those desired for adequate and satisfactory performance in the Mathematics curriculum. In responding to the question asked on the factors which contribute to poor performance in Mathematics TR-1 said "*most of the learners show no interest at all in learning; this makes it worse for Mathematics results. Peer pressure, lack of guidance, poor socio-economic backgrounds, child or elder-headed households affect our learners a lot".* Similarly, TR-3pointed out *"poor attitude towards studying is serious among learners. Many of them do not understand the value of learning especially a critical subject like Mathematics in this modern age.* In another pertinent instance, learners insisted "I do not see how I can be motivated, there are few textbooks at school ... nobody cares."

Concerning lack of interest in learning Mathematics, learners did not seem to identify shortcomings from their side. Blame was for example apportioned to the content being difficult. Here LN-A pointed out: "*Mathematics requires more thinking, knowledge and understanding than what is required in other subjects".* About this LN-C said, "*Mathematics is very difficult and most of the time you might think that you have grasped the concepts, but they are easy to forget".* LN-H corroborated this "t*he subject is a lot more difficult than most people realize. So, it's not easy to pass it even if you try".*

#### **4.4 School related factors**

The findings indicated that limited access to textbooks and practical learning resources were the causes of poor performance. Inasmuch as most textbooks are in appalling shape and have endured years of damage. Some have a few blank pages and sometimes teachers are compelled to make copies. Data further indicated that in some instances, many learners are grouped to share textbooks. The availability of resources appears to play a pivotal role in student performance. This view is shared by Munda, Tanui and Kaberia [37] who observe that the availability of and quality of textbooks in a secondary school is strongly related to achievement among children from lower-income families especially those in rural boarding schools. According to Mbugua et al. [18], textbooks are a major input for performance in examinations. This view is shared by Kariuki, Kibet, Muthaa and Reche, [18] who observe that the availability of and quality of textbooks in a secondary school is strongly related to achievement among children from lower income families, especially those in rural boarding schools. The availability of textbooks in schools, however, is ultimately what determines students' outcomes in mathematics. Brown et al. [32], from a theoretical perspective, argues that adopting constructivist approaches to teaching and learning requires practice-based models, which demand adequate resources.

#### **4.5 Teacher related factors**

Data from interviews indicated that poor performance than intended was generally due to insufficient guidance, mathematics difficulty, and the subject's expectations. On the other hand, data showed that learners' performance was impacted by teachers' reluctance to assume responsibility for teaching Mathematics in Grade 12. Hence Bed [38] states that a positively motivated teacher can assist students in reducing their Mathematics anxiety and go above and beyond to assist learners in getting past their learning challenges. In the same vein Pereira [17], affirms that the language of instruction often influenced the performance of learners in all subjects during schooling. Particularly among rural learners or those who have been subjected for long periods to tuition using a different language, performance was poor. Poor teaching and inappropriate strategies from teachers affected learning [14]. In lay terms, there is consensus that more experienced or better-qualified employees and particularly a combination of both tend to perform better than their peers do. As identified, allocation of Grade 12 Mathematics classes to under-qualified teachers, student teachers and the reluctance to accept responsibility and accountability by the appropriate teachers have largely compromised results in Mathematics. This was further argued by Mensah et al. [21] that, even in the presence of adequate physical resources, poorly equipped teachers could affect learners negatively.
