A Causal Model of Selected Non-Cognitive Learner’s Variables and Achievement in Junior Secondary School Mathematics

Abstract

This study investigated a causal modelwas used to investigate and explain the direct and indirect effects of eight non-cognitive learner’s variables (gender, socio-economic status, self-concept, gender-stereotype, motivation, attitude towards mathematics, self-confidence and problem solving habits) on students’ mathematicsachievement. The sample consists of 312 Junior Secondary School Two (JSS II) students drawn from four co-educational schools using purposive sampling technique. Two research instrumentsnamely Student Affective Variable Questionnaire (SAVQ) and Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) were constructed and validated for data collection.Pathanalysis technique was applied to estimate the coefficients of the structural equations of the hypothesized causal model. The results of the study revealed that the hypothesized causal model is tenable and that socio-economic status,gender-stereotype, motivation, self-confidence and problem solving habits contributed through both direct and indirect effects to students’ achievement in mathematics. Finally, attitude towards mathematics only contributed through direct effect to students’ achievement in mathematicswhile gender and self-concept contributed to students’ achievement in mathematics through indirect effect only.

Keywords: Causal model, direct effect, indirect effect, mathematicsachievement, junior school mathematics.