Discriminant Analysis of Psycho-Social Predictors of Mathematics Achievement of Gifted Students in Nigeria

Year 2019, Volume: 7 Issue: 3, 581 - 594, 15.09.2019

Oluseyi Dada , Samuel Matthew Akpan

https://doi.org/10.17478/jegys.605981

Cited By: 2

Abstract

The disturbing issue of Mathematics underachievement among gifted
students seems more like a mystery than a reality and therefore calls for
urgent intervention. This is why this study was motivated to investigate the
psycho-social predictors that are reliable in discriminating potential
achievers and underachieving gifted students in Mathematics. The study is a
causal comparative study of 154 gifted SSII students purposively selected
through multi-stage screening form 15 secondary schools in Calabar education
zone, Cross River State, Nigeria. The discriminant analysis was used to answer
the four research questions set to guide the study. There were three main
instruments used in the study; the adapted Slosson Intelligence Test Revised
(SIT-R r= 0.89) edition, Psycho-Social Scale for Adolescent (PSSA; r=.72, .69,
.76, .78, .68, .73 and .73 for the sub-scales) and Mathematics Achievement Test
(MAT; r=.78).The result of the data analysis revealed that selected
psycho-social variables: Mathematics
self-efficacy, Mathematics interest, Mathematics task commitment, peer
influence, parental influence and Mathematics career aspiration) significantly
and reliably
predict and classify gifted students into Mathematics potential achievers and
underachievers with the exception of the
students’ general intelligence. The findings show that there are more gifted Mathematics underachievers (N= 82;
53.3%) than gifted potential Mathematics achievers (N= 72; 46.7%). It also shows
that 100% of the gifted underachievers and potential achievers were perfectly
classified.

Keywords

Discriminant Analysis, Gifted Student, Mathematics Achievement, Potential Gifted Achievers

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