INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,
MANAGEMENT & APPLIED SCIENCE (IJLTEMAS)
ISSN 2278-2540 | DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS | Volume XIV, Issue X, October 2025
www.ijltemas.in Page 517
Analysis of Factors Influencing Pupil Performance in Mathematics
at the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination in
Kenema City, Sierra Leone (2018-2022)
Edward Lamin Monya Junior, Mustapha Ansumana
Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone, Kenema.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2025.1410000065
Received: 18 October 2025; Accepted: 24 October 2025; Published: 10 November 2025
Abstract: This study investigated the determinants of poor academic performance in Mathematics at the West Africa Senior School
Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Kenema City, Sierra Leone. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed.
The quantitative phase analyzed WASSCE results (2018-2022) from a stratified random sample of eight secondary schools
(N=6,132 pupils). We employed multilevel logistic regression to model the odds of achieving a credit pass, controlling for pupil,
teacher, and school-level factors. The qualitative phase involved validated surveys with 1,489 SSS3 pupils and 70 teachers,
alongside interviews and observations. Quantitative results confirmed a systemic performance crisis, with significant yearly and
between-school variance. Key predictors of failure included teacher qualification level (Odds Ratio [OR] for unqualified teachers
= 0.38, p<.01), pupil attitude score (OR=1.24 per unit increase, p<.001), and socioeconomic status (OR for low-income=0.45,
p<.01). A notable performance spike in 2021-2022 was partially explained by pandemic-related exam adjustments. Qualitatively,
a high proportion (82.86%) of teachers were "trained but unqualified," fostering over-reliance on passive pedagogy, which
exacerbated pupil disengagement. The study concludes that performance is shaped by a complex interaction of factors best
understood through a Socio-Ecological lens. We propose a phased, three-year implementation plan for stakeholder-specific
interventions targeting teacher upskilling, resource provision, and mindset change.
Keywords: Mathematics Performance, WASSCE, Multilevel Modelling, Teacher Qualifications, Sierra Leone, Socio-Ecological
Model, Educational Intervention.
1. Introduction
Mathematics as a concept has existed since prehistoric times. Communities are the collective noun for the inhabitants of clusters of
houses. Living in a group fosters development because highly intellectual members of the group should actively participate in
decision-making. Almost all development-related tasks include straightforward and sophisticated calculations that relate to
everyday math. It is impossible to overstate the value of mathematics in our daily lives. Building calculations require the use of
mathematics, just as they do for tailors, businesspeople, carpenters, and even married people who need to create household budgets
and calculate their taxes, to name a few professions.
Mathematics is utilised in educational settings to evaluate and assess the students' performances. Math is used by development
professionals to examine and assess development projects. To make advances, drivers, farmers, geographers, and economists must
all develop the requisite mathematical skills.
Due to the aforementioned applications, mathematics has come to be regarded as a subject of utmost importance, to the point where
it is now considered one of the core courses and is required of all secondary school students in Sierra Leone. Every student enrolled
in tertiary education courses should spend at least one year studying mathematics because of how important it is. Every student
reading science topics needs to be more proficient in mathematics due to the diverse influences of mathematics on men's lives. In
this nation, tertiary institutions are regarded as good human enterprises that generate the need for good human resources.
Service teachers, particularly in math grades, are supposed to be excellent teachers who can instruct students in secondary schools.
The secondary pupils' quality of education is strongly influenced by the proficiency or incompetence of these teachers.
Schools incompetent teachers of mathematics have negative impacts on the students in the teaching and learning situation. The
incompetence of teachers, who are specialists in mathematics, has induced students to view mathematics as a difficult subject. Some
teachers may have read agriculture, physics, and chemistry at the Higher Teachers Certificate (H.T.C.) level. These are mostly the
teachers teaching mathematics in senior secondary schools because of the lack of qualified graduate mathematics teachers in
schools. There might be other problematic issues, such as methods of teaching, teaching aids, learners' attitudes, and so on.
Due to the importance of mathematics, the performances of students in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination
(WASSCE) over the years have raised concerns among teachers, parents, principals, and policymakers, such as the Ministry of
Education. These concerns have motivated the researcher to look into the causes of the poor performances of students in
mathematics at the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) Chief Examiners report WASSCE 2003.
Recent studies have observed that most students at senior secondary schools hate mathematics because of its difficulty, abstractness,
and teaching methodologies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,
MANAGEMENT & APPLIED SCIENCE (IJLTEMAS)
ISSN 2278-2540 | DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS | Volume XIV, Issue X, October 2025
www.ijltemas.in Page 518
Mathematics is a critical driver of scientific literacy and economic development (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics,
2020). In Sierra Leone, it is a compulsory gateway subject for tertiary education, yet national performance in the WASSCE remains
a persistent concern (MBSSE, 2021). While regional studies have highlighted generic challenges like resource scarcity (Adewumi
& Mosito, 2019), a rigorous, context-specific analysis for Kenema City that accounts for the hierarchical nature of educational data
and uses robust analytical techniques is lacking.
This study is grounded in Bronfenbrenner's Socio-Ecological Model (SEM), which posits that student outcomes are influenced by
multiple interacting systems. We adapt this to frame mathematics performance as a function of the pupil (attitudes, study habits),
the microsystem (teacher quality, classroom methods), the mesosystem* (school resources, leadership), and the macrosystem
(socio-economic, cultural factors). This theoretical framework moves beyond listing factors to explaining their interrelationships.
The study aimed to:
1. Quantify the impact of pupil, teacher, and school-level factors on WASSCE mathematics performance using multilevel
modelling.
2. Qualitatively explore the mechanisms through which teacher qualifications and pedagogical practices influence pupil
engagement.
3. Investigate the anomalous performance spike in the 2021-2022 academic years.
4. Propose a theory-informed, actionable implementation plan for interventions.
II. Methodology
Research Design and Sampling
A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was used. To enhance external validity, we moved from a convenience sample of
five to a stratified random sample of eight public secondary schools in Kenema City, selected to represent variation in school size,
location (urban/peri-urban), and historical performance. This justifies the generalizability of findings to similar urban contexts in
Sierra Leone.
The quantitative sample included all WASSCE candidates in Mathematics from these eight schools from 2018-2022 (N=6,132).
The qualitative sample comprised a stratified random sample of 1,489 SSS3 pupils and all 70 mathematics teachers from the same
schools.
Data Collection and Measurement
Performance Data: WASSCE results (dichotomized into Credit/Better [A1-C6] vs. Pass/Fail [D7-F9]) were collected.
Pupil Questionnaire: Included a validated 15-item Attitude Towards Mathematics Scale (ATMS) adapted from Tapia & Marsh
(2004) (Cronbach's α = 0.87 in this study), assessing confidence, enjoyment, and value. Socio-economic status (SES) was measured
using a composite index of parental education, occupation, and household amenities.
Teacher Questionnaire: Captured data on qualifications, categorized as: Qualified (B.Ed./B.Sc. Ed. in Maths), Trained-Unqualified
(Diploma in Education but degree in other fields), and Untrained. Teaching methods were assessed via a checklist and classroom
observations.
Interviews & Observations: Semi-structured interviews with teachers and principals, and classroom observations provided
contextual depth.
Data Analysis
Quantitative: We employed a two-level hierarchical generalized linear model (HGLM) with a Bernoulli distribution. Level 1 was
pupils (n=6,132), nested within Level 2, schools (n=8). The model controlled for pupil-level (attitude, SES, gender) and school-
level (teacher qualification ratio, class size, resource availability) confounders to isolate key predictors. Logistic regression was
also used for specific variable-level analysis.
Qualitative: Thematic analysis was conducted on interview and observation transcripts. Data triangulation strengthened validity.
III. Results and Findings
Quantitative Analysis: Multilevel Modelling
Table 1: Multilevel Logistic Regression Predicting Odds of Achieving a Credit or Better in WASSCE Mathematics
Variable Odds Ratio (OR) 95% CI for OR p-value
Pupil Level (Level 1)
Attitude Score (per unit increase 1.24 [1.15, 1.34] < .001
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,
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ISSN 2278-2540 | DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS | Volume XIV, Issue X, October 2025
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Socio-Economic Status (Ref: High)
Middle-Income 0.65 [0.48, 0.88] < .01
Low-Income 0.45 [0.32, 0.63] < .001
Gender (Female vs. Male) 0.91 0.91 | [0.79, 1.05] .189
School Level (Level 2)
Teacher Qualification (Ref: Qualified)
Trained-Unqualified 0.38 [0.22, 0.66] < .001
Untrained 0.21 [0.09, 0.49] < .001
Student-Teacher Ratio (per 5-unit increase) 0.89 [0.80, 0.99]
Resource Availability Index (per unit increase) 1.45 [1.18, 1.78] < .001
Model Fit
Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) 0.31
Note: OR > 1 indicates higher odds of success. CI = Confidence Interval. |
The ICC of 0.31 indicates that 31% of the variance in mathematics performance is attributable to differences between schools,
justifying the use of multilevel modelling. Key findings include:
A unit increase in a pupil's attitude score multiplies the odds of success by 1.24.
Pupils from low-income households have 55% lower odds (OR=0.45) of success compared to high-income peers.
Being taught by a "Trained-Unqualified" teacher reduces odds of success by 62% (OR=0.38) compared to a qualified mathematics
teacher.
Table 2: Analysis of the 2021-2022 Performance Anomaly
School Avg. Pass Rate
(2018-2020
Pass Rate (2021) | Pass Rate (2022) Putative Explanatory Factor (from
interviews/document review)
School A 0.19% 52.13% 91.72% | Appointment of a new, highly qualified
Head of Mathematics Dept.
School B 9.44% 52.13% 91.72% Appointment of a new, highly qualified
Head of Mathematics Dept.
School D 16.31% 55.32% 91.84% Partnership with an NGO providing
intensive vacation classes.
All Schools 0.19% 52.78% 90.59% WAEC Covid-19 Adjustment:
Simplified paper structure & choice.
Sensitivity Analysis: A model excluding the 2021-2022 data showed even stronger negative effects for low SES and unqualified
teachers, suggesting these systemic weaknesses were temporarily masked by the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic period.
Qualitative Findings on Contributing Factors
Table 3: Teacher Factors and Observed Pedagogical Practices
Factor Operationalized Finding Thematic Insight from Interviews
Qualification 82.86% "Trained-Unqualified" (e.g.,
HTC in Agriculture teaching Maths
"I try my best, but some advanced
algebra concepts are challenging for me
to explain simply." (Teacher, School C)
Pedagogy 75% of observed lessons were
exclusively lecture-based.
"We have to cover the syllabus quickly;
no time for activities." (Teacher, School
A)
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,
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Demeanor Scolding for errors observed in 60% of
classrooms
"When he shouts, I stop thinking. I just
pray he doesn't call my name." (Pupil,
School B)
Table 4: Pupil Attitude and Resource Access (Validated Scale)
Factor Quantitative Finding (% or Mean Score) Qualitative Corroboration
Overall Attitude (ATMS) Mean Score: 2.1/5.0 (SD=0.8) "Maths is a monster. I hate it, but I have
no choice." (Pupil, School E)
Resource Access
Personal Calculator 40% "We share one calculator in a family of
five." (Pupil, School D)
Set of Mathematical Instruments 21% "I borrow from my friend for exams."
(Pupil, School C)
IV. Discussion
This study provides robust, multi-level evidence of a systemic crisis in mathematics education in Kenema. The significant school-
level variance (ICC=0.31) underscores that pupil fate is heavily determined by the school they attend, primarily driven by teacher
quality and resources.
Our findings align with and extend the Teacher-Effect Model (Rockoff, 2004), demonstrating that teacher subject-specific
qualification is a more powerful predictor than general training. The drastic reduction in odds of success for pupils taught by
"Trained-Unqualified" teachers (OR=0.38) reveals a critical policy gap. This creates a negative feedback loop within the socio-
ecological framework: underqualified teachers (Microsystem) employ transmissive pedagogy, fostering negative pupil attitudes
(Pupil level), which is exacerbated by resource poverty (Mesosystem/Macrosystem).
The 2021-2022 performance spike, while dramatic, is likely an artifact of pandemic-related exam accommodations and targeted,
unsustainable interventions. Sensitivity analyses confirm that core structural problems persisted. This anomaly should be viewed
not as a solved problem, but as proof of potential, showing that with concentrated support and favorable conditions, improvement
is possible.
Limitations and Impact
This study has limitations. The SES measure, while composite, may not capture all nuances of poverty. The pupil attitude scale,
though validated, is self-reported. Furthermore, the study was conducted in one city, which may limit generalability to rural areas.
These limitations likely lead to a conservative estimation of the true effect of poverty and attitude, meaning the real-world impact
of these factors could be even more severe than reported.
V. Recommendations and Implementation Plan
Moving beyond generic advice, we propose a phased, three-year implementation plan based on the Socio-Ecological Model.
Stakeholder-Specific Interventions with Timelines:
Timeline Intervention Lead Stakeholder Key Activities Success Indicator
Year 1: Foundation &
Emergency Support
| Q1-Q4 Emergency Teacher
Upskilling
Ministry of Education
(MoE)
3-month pedagogical
upskilling for 50
"Trained-Unqualified"
teachers.
80% pass rate on
subject knowledge
audit.
Q1-Q2 Emergency Teacher
Upskilling
MoE / NGOs Distribute standardized
Maths kits (calculators,
sets) to all SSS3 pupils in
target schools.
100% of SSS3 pupils
possess core materials.
Year 2: Systemic
Strengthening
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,
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Q1-Q4 Embedded
Professional Learning
Communities (PLCs)
School Admin / MoE Fortnightly PLC meetings
for maths teachers to plan
lessons and review data.
100% teacher
participation; shared
lesson bank created.
Q1-Q4 Mindset & Parental
Engagement
Campaign
School Admin / PTAs "Maths for All" clubs;
workshops for parents on
supporting learning.
25% increase in pupil
ATMS scores; 50%
parent attendance at
workshops.
Year 3:
Sustainability &
Scaling
Q1-Q4 Policy Review &
Incentivization
MoE - Revise teacher
recruitment/deployment
to prioritize subject
specialization.
Policy document
ratified; 90% of new
maths posts filled by
qualified staff.
Q1-Q4 Longitudinal
Monitoring System
MoE / Researchers Track impact of
interventions on
WASSCE and pupil
attitude over time.
Annual review report
informing future
policy
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