Investigating the Possible Reasons beyond Students’ Low Achievement in Mathematics in the Tawjihi Exam: A Case Study (Published)

Article Author: Safia Tarteer and Islam Asim Ismail

Research on students’ achievement has a long tradition. This study examined the possible reasons behind students’ low achievement in Mathematics in the Tawjihi exam. The researchers conducted their study at Al- Ezaria Girls Secondary School, as a case study. The motivation for this study stands beyond understanding the possible reasons behind their low achievement in Mathematics. The population of this study consists of many parties, which are (5) teachers, (1) principle, (3) parents, and (12) Tawjihi students. The selection of the participants was as a focused group (single and multiple). For data collection, semi-structured interviews were adopted as a tool for the study. This study seeks to answer three main questions and different minor questions. It also seeks to understand how teachers, school environment, curriculum, instructional material, the policy of the Ministry of education, and students’ numbers affect students’ achievement. The researchers collected the data and compared each participant’s response with the other to reveal the contradictions between their responses. The study found that there are many reasons for students’ low achievement in Mathematics. The study recommends teachers change their way of teaching, encourage students, and offer continuous suitable feedback on students learning.