Identifying factors that affected student enrolment in Additional Mathematics for urban areas of Kuantan district

Abstract

Abstract The skilful and qualified Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforces are expected to be in high demand in the 21st digital economy. In Malaysia public education system, the principal key to STEM education is Additional Mathematics. However, the statistics depicted that the number of upper secondary students enrolled in Additional Mathematics have been severely delineated. Furthermore, the prerequisite to enrol in STEM and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) courses in tertiary education is achieving a minimum grade C for Additional Mathematics. Therefore, the principal objective of this article is to identify the significant factors that affected the upper secondary students enrolled in Additional Mathematics using Pearson’s chi-square test without Yates continuity correction and unadjusted odds ratio (OR). A validated questionnaire comprised nine potential factors that affected enrolment in additional mathematics was distributed to 389 Form Four students’ cohort 2020 from four selected urban government schools to pursue this objective. Based on the finding of this article, several initiatives might be taken by the policymakers, such as the teachers may enhancing and throughout the broad of STEM and TVET careers in the 21st digital economy era, while the students’ parents can participate in schools in building the communicating and coordinating mechanism. Consequently, the number of upper secondary enrolled in STEM education might be increased to pipeline the future STEM and TVET human capitals in sustaining and stabilising the national economy in the digital era.