Investigating teachers adoption of student -centered strategies in teaching mathematics; a case study of Mpigi District.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate teachers’ adoption of student-centered strategies in teaching mathematics through the Theory of Planned Behaviour in selected secondary schools in Mpigi District. The specific objectives of study included; to establish the relationship between teachers’ perceived behavioural control, subjective norms and attitudes respectively and adoption of student-centered strategies in teaching mathematics in secondary schools in Mpigi District. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires and interviews from a total of 176 mathematics teachers. Having analysed data using frequency distribution tables, means, ANOVA and Spearman’s Rank Correlation, it was found that behavioural beliefs, perceived behavioural control and subjective norms on the adoption of student centered learning by mathematics teachers recorded means of 3.50, 3.41 and 3.79 respectively. Besides, Pearson correlation found a significant positive relationship between teacher’s behavioural beliefs and teacher’s subjective norms with adoption of student centered learning. On the other hand, a positive insignificant relationship was found out between teacher’s perceived behavioural control and teacher’s adoption of student centered learning. It is recommended that opportunities be given to mathematics teachers to reflect on how scientific knowledge is created, reviewed, and improved to help them develop a more sophisticated understanding of student centered learning in teaching them mathematics.