Student perceptions of difficulty in high school mathematics: A qualitative study

Abstract

This paper explicates the challenges of accepting Mathematics learning in the secondary level in western Nepal. It navigates the shortcomings of Mathematics learning and Mathematics from the experiences of the learners studying in the secondary level of community schools. This study employed a qualitative research design, and the methodology used here was phenomenology. To achieve the objectives of this research, data were collected from fourteen participants with the help of both structured and unstructured interviews. The findings revealed that even the culture of respective students pose challenges in learning mathematics. Similarly, the results also foreground that teaching mathematics strategy is equivalent to teaching other disciplines despite Mathematics being more practical and abstract-centric. Existing conditions of classroom like pedagogy, content of the course, scarcity of resources and unsound rapport are the factors that have constantly deviated the concentration of the learners from learning mathematics. Therefore, this study should suggest that transformative pedagogy, negotiation with parents to sort out cultural hindrances and restructuring classrooms are under consideration to mitigate existing challenges.