Mathematical Skills as a Correlate of Teachers’ Performance and Secondary Students’ Lesson Mastery in Electrolysis for Sustainable Development

Abstract

This study examined mathematical skills acquisition as a correlate of teachers' performance and secondary students' lesson mastery in electrolysis for sustainable development in Nigeria. A quantitative correlational design was used across 18 public secondary schools from 6 Local Government Areas. The population consisted of 34 chemistry teachers and 494 chemistry students out of which 18 chemistry teachers and 180 students were selected using stratified and purposive sampling techniques respectively for data collection. Three instruments were used: the Prerequisite Mathematics Skills Acquisition for Teaching Electrolysis Test (PMSATE) for teachers, Mean Performance in Teaching Electrolysis (MPTE) observation checklist, and Students' Lesson Mastery (SLM) test. Instrument reliability was established at 0.83 using Cronbach’s Alpha. Data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and Multiple Linear Regression at p < .05. Findings show that teachers' prerequisite mathematical skills significantly correlate with and predict teaching performance and student lesson mastery in electrolysis. Furthermore, teacher education programs should integrate specialized courses focused on mathematics to cater for chemistry calculations and common student misconceptions. Finally, future studies should explore whether the strategic integration of digital instructional tools can effectively compensate for environments where baseline teacher mathematics skills are low.