Global trends in contributing factors to Mathematics performance in secondary schools: lessons for South Africa 2015 – 2024

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorTheron, Hendri
dc.date.accessioned2025-04-23T21:51:59Z
dc.date.available2025-04-23T21:51:59Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstractThis review of the literature examines global trends related to factors contributing to mathematics performance in secondary schools from 2015 to 2024, to draw lessons for South Africa. The study identifies key issues in South African mathematics education, such as insufficiently trained teachers, inadequate facilities, and lack of resources. It contrasts these factors with those of high-performing countries such as Singapore, China, Taipei, and Korea, which consistently excel in international assessments such as the TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study). The theoretical framework is grounded in complexity and chaos theory, emphasising the non-linear and dynamic nature of educational systems. The butterfly effect and chaos theory are used metaphorically to illustrate how small changes in initial conditions can lead to significant long-term impacts. Methodologically, the review employs a thematic analysis of literature sourced primarily from the Scopus database, covering a decade of research. After the initial selection procedure, 24 relevant articles were selected according to the predetermined selection criteria. The findings highlight the critical role of teachers, including their qualifications, professional development, and the establishment of a growth mindset. Furthermore, the importance of teaching and learning support, teacher-student relationships, resources, learning environment, and socioeconomic status is underlined. The review concludes that South Africa can improve its mathematics performance by ensuring that all mathematics teachers are well-qualified, providing adequate resources, and fostering a conducive learning environment. The study also recommends further research into early childhood development and a broader database search to enhance the understanding of factors influencing mathematics performance.
dc.description.versionPublisher's version
dc.identifier.citationTheron, H. (2025). Global trends in contributing factors to Mathematics performance in secondary schools: lessons for South Africa 2015 – 2024. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 24(1), 278-297. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.1.14
dc.identifier.doi10.26803/ijlter.24.1.14
dc.identifier.issn1694-2493 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1694-2116 (online)
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.1.14
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11660/13028
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSociety for Research and Knowledge Management
dc.relation.ispartofInternational Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research
dc.rights.holderAuthor(s)
dc.rights.licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.subjectContributing factors
dc.subjectGlobally
dc.subjectMathematics performance
dc.subjectSecondary schools
dc.subjectSouth Africa
dc.titleGlobal trends in contributing factors to Mathematics performance in secondary schools: lessons for South Africa 2015 – 2024
dc.typeArticle
oaire.citation.issue1
oaire.citation.volume24
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Theron_Global trends in contributing factors to Mathematics performance_2025.pdf
Size:
331.09 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.63 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Research Articles (School of Higher Education Studies)