Teachers' Ideology and Students’ Mathematics Achievements in High Schools: Mediating Role of Students’ Motivation and Students’ Perception of Mathematics

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between mathematics teachers’ ideology and students’ mathematics achievement, with students’ motivation and students’ perception of mathematics assessed as potential mediators. Data were collected from 215 Senior High School 2 students from two schools in the Kumasi Metropolitan area of Ghana’s Ashanti Region using a questionnaire. The instrument covered the principal study constructs and was assessed for validity and internal consistency. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted, followed by structural equation modelling using AMOS 23.0 to evaluate the proposed direct and indirect relationships. The reported results indicated that teachers’ ideology was significantly related to students’ mathematics achievement and students’ motivation, whereas it was not significantly related to students’ perception of mathematics. Students’ motivation mediated the relationship between teachers’ ideology and students’ mathematics achievement. In contrast, students’ perception of mathematics did not mediate this relationship, although students’ perception was reported to have a direct relationship with mathematics achievement. The findings suggest that the beliefs and instructional orientations teachers bring to mathematics teaching are associated with students’ motivational experiences and achievement outcomes within the study setting. The study therefore highlights the importance of considering teacher ideology and student motivation together when examining mathematics achievement in senior high school contexts.