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Study Habits and Mathematics Performance among Senior Secondary

School Students in Katsina Metropolis

Article · May 2019

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Study Habits and Mathematics Performance Sagir Ibrahim Sayyadi

STUDY HABITS AND MATHEMATICS PERFORMANCE AMONG SENIOR

SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN KATSINA METROPOLIS.

Sagir Ibrahim Sayyadi

Sagir.ibrahim@umyu.edu.ng, 08035138405
Department of Education
Faculty of Education
Umaru Musa Yar'adua University, Katsina

ABSTRACT
The study employed correlation design in investigating the
Study Habits and Mathematics Performance among Senior
Secondary School Students in Katsina metropolis. The
population of the study stands at 6651 SS II students. Simple
random sampling technique was used to select207 male and
158 female senior secondary school students that make a total
of 365students, which were used as sample for the study. Two
objectives and two null hypotheses were formulated. Study
Habit Inventory developed by C. Gilbert Wrenn (2005) was
used in collecting data for the study. Pearson Product Moment
Correlation Coefficient was used in testing hypothesis one,
while t-test was used in testing hypothesis two. Analysis of data
reveals that significant negative correlation exists between
mathematics Scores and Time Management (with r = -.183). t-
test result show that significant difference exists in Study
Habits between male and female senior secondary school
students (with p = .000). Based on the above finding it is
recommended that school principals and teachers should
organize orientation programs on time-management in order
to train students on how to best utilize time, in order to
increase their performance in mathematics.

Keywords: Study Habits; Mathematics; Performance; Secondary School Students.

INTRODUCTION
Study habits are skills that a learner employs and use in order to achieve the
learning aims and objectives. In every teaching and learning process, a learner is
expected to have some skills that will burst his understanding and lead him toward
success. The study habits include time management, concentration, writing skill, test
preparation and anxiety management among others. Appropriate utilization of these
habits may lead to learning success. Sadia (2005, cited in Khurshid, Tanveer & Qasmi,
2012) reported that effective study habits help students to achieve good results.
Classroom observations show that under the same conditions, namely same professor,
same subject, same teaching system, same administration, same enrollment criteria,
same time of the day for a specific course and same education level, some students
perform well while others do not (Cerna & Pavliushchenko, 2015). In educational

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BA YEO Journal of Education in Africa Volume 7, Number 1, March, 2019

research, it is typically hypothesized that students' self-regulatory efforts toward their

learning goals should have a direct impact on subsequent achievement, and further
mediate linkages between dispositional factors such as cognitive abilities or contextual
characteristics such as the classroom environment and achievement (Boekaerts &
Como, 2005).
Good study habit has been seen to helps students prepare for what is ahead, and
accomplish their academic goals through planning (Bolling, 2000). Therefore, students
that have poor study habits are of great disadvantage. Poor study habit is the reasons
students need remedial classes, fall behind in coursework and drop out of school.
Developing good study habits drastically lowers students' risk of academic struggles,
and failure to complete a college degree. Hence, Bolling (2000) submits that students
who tend to perform high across most of their subjects can be considered to have good
study habits by being actively involved in their own learning process, continuous
planning -and carefully monitoring of the educational task that they are required to
complete.
Mathematics failure is one of the leading problems faced by secondary school
students in Nigeria. Students at this level of education fall victims of mathematics
failure due to the preconceived idea that it is difficult, coupled with the failures their
predecessors had in the subject (Soyemi, 2001).
Sakirudeen & Sanni (2017) examined study habits and academic performance
of secondary school students in Mathematics. A case study of selected secondary
schools in Uyo Local Education Council. The population of 1128 Senior Secondary
School Two (SS2) students with a sample size of 200 respondents was selected from 5
public secondary schools for the study using simple random sampling technique. A
structured questionnaire was used to gather data for the study, which comprises of two
sections (A and B), section A comprise of 15 items while section B, comprise of 30
achievement test on mathematics. The reliability coefficient of 0.91 was obtained using
spearman Brown formula. Data collected was analyzed using Pearson Product Moment
Correlation Co-efficient (PPMC) and tested at 0.05 level of significance. Results
revealed that there is significance relationship between note taking, students' use of
library, time allocation for study and students' academic performance in mathematics.
Eremie (2017) investigated study habits of Senior Secondary School Students
and their academic performance in Rivers State. The population of the study consisted
1,500 male and female students form four co- educational schools in Port Harcourt,
Urban Areas. A simple random sampling technique was used to draw 150 students.
General study Habits Scale (GSHS) was used fro collection of data for the study.
Reliability coefficient of 0.67 was obtained, using Spearman Brown Prophecy Formula.
Five research questions, and Five null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of
significance, using t-test statistic. The findings revealed that there were significant
differences on the responses of male and female students regarding students' time
management, motivational level, interest level, class attendance, and note-taking
behaviours.
Chalse-Ogann and Alamina (2014) adopted a descriptive survey using the
Students' Study Habit Assessment Scale (SSHAS) instrument. They used a sample of
400 ssn Students which were randomly selected from a population of about 2,108
students in 16 public secondary schools in Port Harcourt Local Government Area. The

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Study Habits and Mathematics Performance Sagir Ibrahim Sayyadi

reliability coefficient of the instrument was 0.86, calculated using the Pearson Product
Moment Correlation (PPMC) formula. Hypothesis was tested at 0.05 significant levels
using t-test and Rank order correlation coefficient (Spearman rho). Findings of their
study revealed that students' do have preference to specific study habits while studying
mathematics. Students' with high level of concentration, devoted more time to problem
solving had high performance irrespective of gender. There was no significant
difference between students' study habits and their performance in mathematics.
Gregory, Horsham-Brathwaite, Queenan, and Skott (2010) Investigated Student
Study Behaviors in Post-Secondary Classes. Participants ranged from bachelors,
masters, post-graduate to doctoral levels. One hundred and forty eight students from a
private university in the Northeast completed a survey which assessed participants'
self-reported frequency of use of textbook skills, note taking, memory, test preparation,
concentration, and time management. Textbook skills, p<.OI and time management
skills, p<.05 were found to be positively correlated with class level. The results
indicated that more advanced students frequently utilized time management and
textbook skills; however students at all levels might benefit from direct instruction on
other effective study skills.
In another study, Chalse-Ogan (2015) looked at the influence of Gender on the
study Habits of students of mathematics. Findings revealed that female student tend to
have better study habits than their male counterparts.Rabia, Mubarak, Tallat and Nasir
(2017) examines the relationship between Study Habits and Academic Performance of
Students. 270 students were sampled from two colleges in Sialkot. Chi-square test was
used in the analyses of data. The result shoed that significant relationship exist between
study habits and academic performance of students.
Kaur and Pathania (2015) aimed to find any significant relations between study
habits and academic achievements amongst college students. 113 adolescents between
17 to 22 years was selected from the College of Home Science, CSKHPKV, Palampur,
Himachal Pradesh. They were administered with the Study Habit Inventory Marks
obtained in previously passed out classes which were taken as an indicator of their
academic achievement. Analyses of the results revealed significant relations between
academic achievement and study habits. High achieving adolescents were found to
perform better in comprehension, task orientation and recording. The factors affecting
the study habits were age, family income and education which were significantly
related. For the rest of the variables, no significant relations were observed among the
groups under consideration.
The present study is therefore design to explore the relationship among study
habits, gender and mathematics achievement among senior secondary school students
in Katsina metropolis, Katsina State, Nigeria.

OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this study are;
1. To find out the relationship between study habit and mathematics performance
among senior secondary school students.
2. To find out the difference in study habits between male and female seruor
secondary school students.

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 BA YEO Journal of Education in Africa Volume 7, Number 1, March, 2019

HYPOTHESES
The following hypotheses were formulated to guide the study;
HOI: There is no significant relationship between study habit and mathematics
performance among senior secondary school students.
H02: There is no significant difference in study habits between male and female
senior secondary school students.

METHODOLOGY
This research employed correlational design in investigating the relationship
between study habits and mathematics performance among senior secondary school
students in Katsina metropolis. The population of the study comprised of 6,651 SS II
students distributed in 12 public secondary schools in Katsina metropolis. They
consisted of 3,808 males and 2,843 females. Simple random sampling technique was
used to select 365SS II students from five schools who served as the sample for the
study, out of which 207 are males and 158 are females. The sample selection was
guided by Research Advisers (2006) who determine that for a population of 6,651, then
365 can serve as sample.
Study Habits Inventory developed by C. Gilbert Wrenn (2005) was used to
collect data for the study. It has 32 items scale that was designed to find out about how
learning skills might apply to an individual. The inventory is categorized in to eight (8)
study habit components; Time Management with four (4) items, Concentration with
four (4) items, Note Taking with four (4) items, and Reading Comprehension also with
four (4) items. Others are Test Preparation and Test Taking, Reading Speed, Writing
Skills, and Test Anxiety Management all with four (4) items each.
Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and t-test were used for the
analyses of data.

FINDINGS
Table 1: Result of Pearson Product Moment Correlation analysis on relationship
between Study Habits and Mathematics Performance
Time Concent Not Reading Test Read Writ Test-
manage ration e compreh prepar ing ing anxiety
ment taki ension ation spee skills manage
ng and d ment
test-
taking
Person -.183# .011 .000 -.023 -.062 .042 .074 -.021
correla
Mathern tion
atics Sig. (2- .000 .841 .995 .658 .239 .419 .158 .694
Perform Tilaed)
ance N 365 365 365 365 365 365 365 365
**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed)
Table 1 above indicates that significant relationship exist between Time Management
and Mathematics Performance. This is because the calculated p value .000 is less than
the 0.01 level of significance. On the other hand, significant difference does not exist

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Study Habits and Mathematics Performance Sagir Ibrahim Sayyadi

between Mathematics Performance and the other seven Study Habits components. The
calculated p values (.841, .995, .658, .239, .419, .158, and .694 for each Study Habits
respectively) are more than 0.05 level of significance used in the analysis. The result
showed that strong negative correlation exist between Time Management and
Mathematics Performance with calculated correlation index r = -.183. Therefore, the
null hypothesis which state that there is no significant relationship between study habit
and mathematics performance among senior secondary school students is hereby
rejected.

Table 2: Result of t-test analyses on the difference in Study Habits between male and
female Senior secondary students
Variable Gender N Mean std.dev std.err df P Sign
Study Habit Male 207 61.0531 5.57666 .38760 363 0.000
Female 158 58.2025 7.23910 .57591
P s 0.01
Table 2 above shows that p = 0.000 is less than the 0.01 level of significance. This
means that there is a significant difference in Study Habits between male and female
senior secondary school students. Therefore, the null hypothesis which states there is no
significant difference in study habits between male and female senior secondary school
students is there by rejected.

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
The result of the findings indicates that significant difference exist between
study habits (Time Management) and Mathematics performance. This is to say that as
time management increase, the mathematics score of senior secondary students also
increases. On the other hand, if the time management decreases, then their score in
mathematics performance also decreases. This finding is in line with the result of
Sakirudeen and Sanni (2017) who found that significant relationship exist between time
allocation for study and students' academic performance in mathematics. The finding
of the present study also agreed with the finding of Chalse-Ogan and Alamina (2014)
who reported that students with high level of concentration, when devoted more time to
problem solving had high performance irrespective of gender. The finding is also in
line with that of Gregory et. al. (2010) Who found that more advanced students,
frequently utilized time management and textbook skills, however students at all levels
might benefit from direct instruction on other effective study skills.
Findings from the present study also indicates that significant difference exist
between male (mean = 61.05) and female (mean = 58.20) senior secondary students'
study habits. This mean that male students have better study habits than female
students. The finding is contrary to the finding of Chalse-Ogan (2015) who revealed
that female student tend to have better study habits than their male counterparts.

CONCLUSION
Based on the above findings, it is concluded that significant correlation exists
between mathematics score and time management among senior secondary school
students in Katsina metropolis. Male students have better study habits than female
students.

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 BA YEO Journal of Education in Africa Volume 7, Number 1, March, 2019

RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the above findings, the following recommendations are made:
1. It is recommended that school principals and teachers should organize orientation programs
on time management in order to train students on how to best utilize time, in order to
increase their performance in mathematics.
2. Parents should train their children on time management, be watchful on the activities on
their children and strengthen their level of time management in favour of mathematics
assignments and practice in order to achieve high grade or increase their performance in
mathematics and other subjects.
3. Timely guidance should be introduced and implemented in schools by teachers and
counselors in order to teach students how to develop effective study habits which could
lead to good academic performance in mathematics.

REFERENCES
Boekaerts, M. & Como, L. (2005). Self-regulation in the classroom: A perspective on
assessment and intervention. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 54 (2),
199-231.https://doi.org/10.l 11 1/j.1464-0597.2005.00205.x
Bolling, S. (2000). The Advantages & Disadvantages of Study Habits for College Students.
New Jessy: Prentice Hall Inc.
Cerna, M. A. & Pavliushchenko, K. (2015). Influence of Study Habit on Academic
Performance of International College Students in Shangai. Higher Eduaction studies,
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