Understanding of Usefulness of Mathematics, Perceptions on Teacher's Attitudes and Mathematics as a Male Domain as Predictors of Students’ Confidence in Mathematics

The study is an examination of the remedial students’ understanding of the usefulness of mathematics, perceptions on teacher's attitudes and mathematics as a male domain as predictors of their personal confidence in mathematics in Taraba State University, Jalingo in Nigeria. The study adopted the quantitative survey design. The population of 1500 students in the School of Preliminary and General Studies, Taraba State University, Jalingo in Nigeria for the 2012/2013 academic session was used for the study. A sample of 300 students representing 20% was used in the study. Data were collected using an adapted questionnaire. The findings show that students’ understanding about the usefulness of mathematics, perception of teacher's attitudes positively predicted their personal confidence about mathematics. However, perception of mathematics as a male domain did not predict personal confidence about mathematics. The prediction model accounted for 64.5% of the variance of students’ personal confidence about mathematics. It is recommended among others that teachers should ensure that students find and understand the application and everyday use of mathematics at secondary and sub-degree levels. This will go a long way to accelerate their self confidence which appears to be a pre-condition to students’ understanding of mathematics itself