Exploring the Influential Factors on Students' Mathematical Interest in Schools

Abstract

This research study aimed to identify and examine the factors that influence the level of interest among high school students in mathematics education. The study explored various factors, including student characteristics, teacher attributes, government involvement, infrastructure challenges, instructional strategies, class size, and concerns related to mathematics. A central high school in Khost was selected as the research site. A random sampling technique was employed to select participants from each class, ensuring representation based on age and gender. The findings revealed that seven factors significantly predicted high school students’ interest in mathematics education. Specifically, the teacher factor, student factor, instructional strategy, math concern, and infrastructure problem positively correlated with the level of interest. At the same time, the class size and government involvement exhibited a negative association. These findings highlight the significance of these factors in shaping students' engagement with mathematics. Based on the results, it is recommended that the government implement regular professional development programs for mathematics teachers to enhance their instructional strategies, enabling them to nurture students' interest in mathematics education effectively.