Abstract:
This was a study of factors that contribute towards students' poor performance
in Mathematics in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination [KCSE] .The
research specifically investigated the attitudes of students towards Mathematics, the
effect of instructional methods towards the subject ,and the availability, and use
of learning resources. A descriptive survey design was adopted. Data was collected
by use of questionnaires. The sample for the study comprised 300 students and 40
teachers drawn from 15 secondary schools in Uasin Gishu West District.
Stratified sampling was used to categorize schools into boys, girls and mixed. Simple
random sampling was then used to select 15 schools from 32 secondary
schools in the district. At school level, the researcher applied simple random
sampling technique to select 20 students who filled the questionnaire .The data
collected were analyzed by use of descriptive and inferential statistics. For
descriptive statistics, percentages and frequencies were used while the chi-square
was used for inferential statistics .The study showed that students in Uasin Gishu
West District had positive attitude towards Mathematics and that there was
significant relationship between students' attitude and performance. Also, there was
significant relationship between teaching methods, teaching and learning resources
and students' performance. From the findings, some recommendations were
suggested. Positive attitudes should be fostered among all the students. All
stakeholders should strive to provide the needed resources for Mathematics learning
