The effectiveness of Grade 9 mathematics teachers in Mahwelereng circuit secondary schools

Abstract

Teacher effectiveness is an important aspect of mathematics teaching. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of grade 9 mathematics teachers and how their effectiveness affects student performance. The central research question is: How effective are the 9th grade mathematics teachers in Mahwelereng Circuit secondary schools? This question is raised because of the high annual failure rate in mathematics in this class. The study was guided by four research objectives, which were to examine the influence of teacher effectiveness on mathematics learning achievement, to examine what teachers can do to improve their teaching effectiveness in 9th grade mathematics, and the qualities and attributes to identify factors that affect learner performance in mathematics. It is important to address these questions to help school districts and policy makers in finding the solution to close the gap. Studies relevant to this topic have been conducted and the relevant literature has been analysed on the topic and conclusions made by several authors regarding the effectiveness of mathematics teachers. Five (5) schools were sampled from the eleven (11) secondary schools in Mahwelereng Circuit, and two grade 9mathematics teachers from each school were selected to participate in this study, making it 10 participants. All participants were specially selected based on their area of specialisation and experience as subject teachers at their schools. Data collection was conducted through interviews, observations, and document analysis. The findings revealed that learner achievement in grade 9 mathematics is due to high pass requirements of 40%. The findings of this study encourage future research on how teachers can effectively approach math teaching and how effective teaching can help students do math better.